Jared Ahmad

Dr. Jared Ahmad is a Lecturer in Journalism, Politics, and Communication at the University of Sheffield’s School of Information, Journalism and Communication. He serves as Programme Director for the MA International Public and Political Communication and holds a Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). Ahmad’s research focuses on identity, representation, and power dynamics in non-state terrorism, particularly Salafi-Jihadi movements like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. His work employs interdisciplinary methods, blending cultural studies, postcolonial theory, and political communication.

Education: BA (Salford), MA and PhD (Manchester). He has been affiliated with the University of Sheffield since 2017 and previously taught at the University of Liverpool and University of Manchester. His research has been funded by the Universities of Manchester and Sheffield. Notable publications include his 2018 book The BBC, the War on Terror, and the Discursive Construction of Terrorism: Representing ‘Al-Qaeda’, analyzing BBC’s portrayal of al-Qaeda, and chapters in edited volumes such as Enemy Encounters in Modern Warfare.

Teaching: Leads modules including Research Methods and International Visual Public and Political Communication. PhD supervision interests include media discourses on terrorism, violent jihadi propaganda, and far-right extremism. His work critiques media representations of terrorism, emphasizing the interplay between news media, state narratives, and public perception.