I am thrilled to join Decentered Media as part of my Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded PhD project. Over the coming months, I’ll be participating in podcasts and engaging in conversations and initiatives that matter to Leicester’s community media environment.
Before entering academia, I spent many years as a journalist. My reporting has focused on the people and politics of South Asia. I have covered natural disasters and conflicts from the frontline and have remained steadfastly committed to bringing minority voices into the mainstream. These experiences taught me that journalism isn’t just about telling stories; listening is equally important. It creates a safe, shared space where communities grow closer.
My appreciation for listening is rooted in my upbringing in an oral tradition, where telling and listening to stories wasn’t just entertainment, it was a way of knowing the world, shaping personalities and teaching the values that matter most. It showed me that we share stories with those we trust, and I’ve been extremely privileged in this regard. In my journalistic career, I have had the opportunity to witness extraordinary events, lead newsroom teams, mentor young journalists and receive awards. Yet what I am most grateful for is the generosity of people who opened their hearts and homes to me and entrusted me with their stories, sometimes in the most astounding circumstances. I never took this privilege for granted.
Now, as a researcher, I continue to uphold the same principles of listening with deference and compassion and treating trust as sacred. My work examines how diasporic communities use media to foster both a sense of belonging and alienation. In my view, research should be conducted with communities, not on them. At its core, my research, like my journalism, is about people, relationships, and the stories that bind or break us.
I believe that communication has the power to instigate social change. In an era when rage has become a lucrative commodity, the erosion of the media’s foundational values such as independence, accuracy and accountability is endangering democracies and polarising communities. In this context, increased media literacy among citizens can ensure a durable, plural and trusted communication ecosystem. It is a mission I am wholeheartedly committed to as both a journalist and a doctoral researcher.
Decentered Media strives to build such a media environment grounded in foundational values, nurtured from the grassroots, amplifying local voices and celebrating difference and diversity. Having worked for a major international broadcaster, my lens has been global; now I’m eager to shift focus to what’s local and lived. Community media has the power to unite people, empower them to regain control of their stories, shape collective narratives, facilitate civic engagement and increase accountability. I hope my time at Decentered Media will make a small contribution to making a case for a stronger community media and to treating media literacy as an essential life skill for students and citizens.
Outside of work, I’m looking forward to exploring Leicester – its people, stories, and especially its South Asian cuisine (I’ve already heard about the unbeatable samosas and bhajis!). I love nature, believe in simplicity and sustainability, and I’m a bit of a news junkie.
Besides English, I speak Urdu, Punjabi, and Hindi, and I have a partial understanding of some Gujarati dialects. I hope this will help me connect more deeply with the city and the communities at the centre of my research. If you’ve got a story, thoughts, or opinions about media, I’d love to hear them.
You can reach out to me at nzdg4477@leeds.ac.uk
I am also on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shumailajaffery/