Reconciliation process between USA & Taliban in selected regional and the US press

Abstract

This study analyses the framing of the reconciliation process between the United States and the Afghan Taliban. While reconciliation is seen as a key strategy to resolve the conflict in Afghanistan, the media's role in shaping public perception of this process needs to be examined. The current research focused on how media narratives, especially across different regions, contributed to these public perceptions. The goal was to (1) explore episodic and thematic frames used in media coverage, (2) examine the diversity of perspectives through sources and bylines in newspapers, and (3) assess how media portrays the success or failure of the reconciliation efforts in line with foreign policy of selected countries. Quantitative content analysis was used to conduct the study aimed to examine the media content from the US and regional countries (India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Iran, and Russia) between 2015 and 2020. The findings explicated significant framing differences, with newspapers such as The Dawn and The New York Times relying on official sources that shape discourse. The findings also indicated media bias toward narratives supporting national foreign policies, with a positive portrayal of reconciliation efforts, particularly between 2017 and 2020.