Disconnected Democracies: The Digital Divide and Unequal Access to Political Discourse in Pakistan’s Online Media Ecosystem

https://doi.org/10.55966/assaj.2025.4.1.079

Abstract

As digital media becomes a central arena for political discourse, assumptions persist that internet access inherently democratizes participation. However, in developing democracies such as Pakistan, deep structural inequalities continue to shape and constrain digital engagement. The research under study examines how the digital divide amongst the infrastructural, socioeconomic, cultural, and algorithmic inequalities constitutes unequal access to the political discourse in the online media environment of Pakistan. Using a mixed-methods approach, including digital ethnography, semi-structured interviews, and content analysis of platform-based political discourse, the research reveals that digital participation remains fragmented and stratified. Key findings highlight how algorithmic amplification favors urban elite narratives, while marginalized communities, particularly women, ethnic minorities, and rural populations, experience digital silencing. Moreover, participation often reflects symbolic engagement rather than substantive civic deliberation. This article attempts to debunk the mainstream digital empowerment discourse and proposes inclusive digital governance by placing these dynamics in the context of critical media theory and Global South digital studies. The study contributes to the growing discourse on platformized democracy, offering both theoretical insights and policy recommendations to bridge the political communication gap in unequal digital societies.

Keywords: Digital Divide; Political Discourse; Online Media Ecosystem; Algorithmic Visibility