Content-Framing and Psychological Well-being under Regulatory Pressure: Editors’ Perceptions of Post-PECA Implementation and its Psychological Health Impacts in the Public Health Context

Abstract

This research examines the impact of Pakistan's Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act on the editorial content framing and psychological well-being of media editors. It's an attempt to address the limited empirical evidence on how governing pressures influence journalistic decision-making, cause occupational stress, and public health concerns. 200 editors were interviewed employing purposive sampling following the quantitative research design. The collected data were analysed through descriptive statistics and chi-square. Findings revealed a statistically significant relationship between regulatory pressures, editorial framing, and discovered that perceived surveillance, legal uncertainty, and external pressures lead towards professional anxiety, occupational stress, and precautionary decision making among editors, which tend to result in self-censorship and risk-sensitive editorial behavior. Demonstrating how legal frameworks impact institutional practice and professional psychology, the study contributes empirical data to framing theory and media regulation scholarship. The study recommends the need for policy reforms, institutional safeguards, and psychological support mechanisms for media professionals in Pakistan.