The Representation of “Immigration” in Pakistani English Newspaper Dawn: A Corpus-Assisted Discourse Study

Abstract

The study explores the representation of the word “immigration” in the Dawn newspaper. Unveiling the constructed ideologies surrounding immigration and the lexicons used to employ a dichotomy of “us” versus “them”. Sketch Engine has been used to analyse the selected articles. The study focuses on the analysis of various linguistic aspects, like the use of metaphors, modality, pronouns, and political language used in the selected text. Research findings show immigration is often perceived as: a burden on national resources, a great security threat, and a crisis that requires immediate government follow-up. The frequent use of pronouns like “we” and “they” in the selected discourse reflects a clear “us versus them” polarisation. The dichotomy portrays the local population as a victim that needs protection from the outsiders labelled as immigrants. Moreover, the study highlights the portrayal of strict immigration reforms by the use of modality in the selected discourse. Dawn displays a negative attitude towards immigration and immigrants and advocates the importance of strict border controls and revised immigration reforms to safeguard national interests.