Shumaila Jaffery

Profile

I am a PhD researcher and White Rose scholar at the School of Media and Communication. My research focuses on diasporas and nationalism, examining how media practices shape the identity of diasporic publics and how closely this identity aligns with the ethos of their adopted countries. My ongoing PhD project uses Leicester— known as the UK’s first plural city—as a case study to analyse the diaspora information landscape.

Before entering academia, I spent two decades as an award-winning journalist, primarily with the BBC, where I served as a frontline correspondent and later led the Indian Languages team. I reported on the plight of Pakistan’s religious minorities, radicalisation linked to blasphemy laws, and India-Pakistan relations. I also documented some of the country’s most devastating natural disasters.

Beyond reporting, I have leadership and mentoring experience. I managed the BBC’s Lahore Bureau and mentored several women and young journalists. I occasionally contribute op-eds to Dawn, Pakistan’s leading English newspaper. I am also an International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ) Fellow and a Chevening South Asian Journalism Fellow.

Conference Papers:

Jaffery (2026). “Mediated Solidarities: Hyper-nationalist Indian Media and Transnational Alignment between Hindu Nationalism and the UK Far-Right”. International Association of Media and Communication (IAMCR) Annual Conference, Galway, Ireland.

Jaffery (2025). “Disinformation, Disdain and Distress” WRoCAH Festival of Research (FoR, 2025), York, UK.

Jaffery (2025). “Diaspora Media, Ethnopolitical Entrepreneurs and the Mainstreaming of Extremism”. School of Media & Communication PGR Symposium, Leeds, UK.

Jaffery (2018). “Working Within and Against Structures: Women, Media and Transnational Perspectives”. Lahore, Pakistan.

Projects:

Jaffery (2025). Organised the WRoCAH annual Festival of Research (FoR- 2025) titled, “Voice & Noise: Communities, Culture Wars and Creative Disruption”.

Jaffery (2026). Led a workshop for community journalists titled, “Tackling Communalism in Leicester’– What is the Role for Independent and Community Media?”. Leicester, UK.

Jaffery (2026). Research Employability Project – Decentered Media. Leicester, UK.

Research interests

• Nationalism
• Race and Ethnicity
• Diasporas
• Political Communication
• International Communication

Qualifications

• PhD in Media and Communication (University of Leeds - ongoing)
• Postgraduate Diploma (PgD) in Multimedia Production Arts (University of the Punjab)
• MA in Mass Communication – Islamia University Bahawalpur
• BA Journalism – Lahore College for Women Lahore