Dr Jared Ahmad
BA (Salford); MA, PhD (Manchester)
Department of Journalism Studies
Lecturer in Journalism, Politics and Communication
+44 114 222 2530
Full contact details
Department of Journalism Studies
227
9 Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 4DT
- Profile
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Jared joined the department in September 2017 as a lecturer in Journalism, Politics and Communication. Prior to this, he taught at the University of Manchester (2016-2017) and the University of Liverpool (2015-2016), where he convened modules ranging from politics and international relations to media studies and political communication. He has a BA in English and Cultural Studies (University of Salford), an MA in Literary and Cultural Theory (University of Manchester), and a PhD in politics (University of Manchester).
- Research interests
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Jared’s primary research interests are situated at the intersection between cultural studies, poststructuralist theory and political communication, and focus on the changing nature of contemporary media discourses and representations of terrorism. In particular, his research centres on the way ‘Islamic’ terrorist groups are visually and verbally represented, and the power-knowledge relations that inform, underpin and give-rise to such portrayals.
He has recently completed a monograph for Palgrave-Macmillan’s prestigious 'New Security Challenges' book series, entitled The BBC, the 'War on Terror' and the Discursive Construction of Terrorism: Representing 'Al-Qaeda' (2018). The book draws upon the work of French philosopher Michel Foucault and explores the various ways in which the BBC has sought to represent 'al-Qaeda' and thus make it meaningful for British television audiences over a ten-year period (2001-2011). Jared has also published in the journals Critical Studies on Terrorism and Media, War and Conflict.
His current research focuses on global media representations of the Islamic State phenomenon and seeks to consider the complex interactions that take place between political elites, terrorists and journalists in today's multi-layered communications environment.
- Publications
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Books
- The BBC, The 'War on Terror' and the Discursive Construction of Terrorism: Representing al-Qaeda. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
Journal articles
- Picturing the “Hordes of Hated Barbarians”:
Islamic State Propaganda, (Self)Orientalism & Strategic Self-Othering. International Journal of Communication, 16, 2935-2957. View this article in WRRO
- Constructing the Islamic state : analysing the interplay between media and policy frames in the aftermath of the November 13th 2015 Paris attacks. Critical Studies on Terrorism, 13(4), 568-590. View this article in WRRO
- Serving the same interests: The Wood Green ricin plot, media–state–terror relations and the ‘terrorism’ dispositif. Media, War and Conflict, 12(4), 411-434. View this article in WRRO
- A shifting enemy: analysing the BBC’s representations of “al-Qaeda” in the aftermath of the September 11 th 2001 attacks. Critical Studies on Terrorism, 9(3), 433-454. View this article in WRRO
- Book review: Social media at BBC NEWS: The re-making of crisis reporting. Media War & Conflict, 8(2), 281-283. View this article in WRRO
Chapters
- Islamic State, strategic self-othering and the weaponisation of propaganda images In Veneti A & Lilleker D (Ed.), Research Handbook on Visual Politics Edward Elgar Publishing
- The May 2nd 2011 Killing of Osama bin Laden, The BBC, The 'War on Terror' and the Discursive Construction of Terrorism (pp. 141-165). Springer International Publishing
- Introduction: The BBC, The ‘War on Terror’ and ‘Al-Qaeda’, The BBC, The 'War on Terror' and the Discursive Construction of Terrorism (pp. 1-20). Springer International Publishing
- Conclusion: A Shifting Enemy, The BBC, The 'War on Terror' and the Discursive Construction of Terrorism (pp. 167-192). Springer International Publishing
- Understanding Al-Qaeda as a Discursive Phenomenon, The BBC, The 'War on Terror' and the Discursive Construction of Terrorism (pp. 21-58). Springer International Publishing
- The January 5th 2003 Wood Green Ricin Plot, The BBC, The 'War on Terror' and the Discursive Construction of Terrorism (pp. 85-109). Springer International Publishing
- The July 7th 2005 Transport Bombings, The BBC, The 'War on Terror' and the Discursive Construction of Terrorism (pp. 111-139). Springer International Publishing
- The September 11th 2001 Attacks, The BBC, The 'War on Terror' and the Discursive Construction of Terrorism (pp. 59-83). Springer International Publishing
- Nightmarish Visions? Shifting Visual Representations of the ‘Islamic’ Terrorist Throughout the ‘War on Terror’, Seen and Unseen: Visual Cultures of Imperialism (pp. 53-78). BRILL
Book reviews
- Book review: Media and terrorism: Global perspectives. Global Media and Communication, 9(1), 74-76.
Website content
- 9/11: how politicians and the media turned terrorism into an Islamic issue.
- Envisioning Terror: Representations of Al Qaeda on the BBC.
- The BBC, The 'War on Terror' and the Discursive Construction of Terrorism: Representing al-Qaeda. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Teaching activities
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Jared is course leader for MA International Public and Political Communication (IPPC) and module leader for JNL6210 Research Methods and JNL6000 International Visual Public and Political Communication. He teaches on JNL120 Essential Journalism and supervises dissertations for MA Global Journalism (JNL6133) and IPPC (JNL6600). He is also department lead for the Erasmus programme.
- PhD supervision
Jared is particularly interested in supervising doctoral students in the following areas:
- Media discourses and representations of the East, Islam, terrorism and political violence
- The politics/processes of terrorist (self)representation, knowledge and power
- Violent Jihadi or far-right extremist propaganda
- Terrorism and visual political communication