Saira Ali

Dr Saira Ali

Lecturer

School of Humanities

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Saira Ali has extensive experience in the media industry, having worked at the top tiers of publishing with Kitab Pvt Ltd and the Oxford University Press in Pakistan. She started her academic career in 2015 at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), where she taught various Public Relations and Social Media courses. She joined University of Adelaide in 2020 as Lecturer in Media. Her current research focuses on media, securitization, and critical terrorism studies.

Taking on a multi-disciplinary approach, Saira's research focuses on the mediatisation of risk, security and othering; journalistic practices, censorship and emerging media. In 2019, Saira co-authored a book, Public Relations & Strategic Communication, for Oxford University Press, Australia. She has published in top-ranking academic journals such as Global Media and Communication, International Communication Gazette and Media International Australia.

Saira's recent book, Mediatised Terrorism: East-West Narratives of Risk (2022), published as part of Routledge Critical Terrorism Studies series, offers a comparative analysis of the mediatisation of terrorism in the East and West, with Australia and Pakistan as representatives of the two worlds. With a view to presenting a holistic analysis of the mediatised narratives of terrorism, the research takes inspiration from the fields of sociology, political science, security and terrorism studies. The research is significant in that it is the first to consider the inter-connections between East and West in the mediatised war-on-terror, as earlier studies have mainly been West-centric. It is also the first to offer empirical analysis of the construction and production of news about terrorism in Pakistani media and explore the cultural risk of othering in a non-Western setting. Further, the study also highlights the strikingly similar challenges faced by journalists and the media industry in the two worlds.

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2020 - ongoing Lecturer Media Studies University of Adelaide
    2015 - 2020 Sessional Academic University of the Sunshine Coast
    2015 - 2018 Research Assistant University of the Sunshine Coast
    2014 - 2015 Chief Operations Officer Kitab Publishing (Pvt) Limited
    2009 - 2013 Editor – Primary & Secondary School Books Oxford University Press (OUP)
    2007 - 2013 Publishing Consultant / Editor Freelancer
    2006 - 2007 Assistant Manager Development & Alumni Relations Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
    2002 - 2005 Manager Media Relations & Publications Curzon Pacific Master Event Planners & Producers
    1999 - 2001 Assistant Editor Libas International Magazine

  • Language Competencies
    Language Competency
    English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
    Urdu Can read, write, speak and understand spoken

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2015 - 2019 University of the Sunshine Coast Australia PhD in Media Studies
    2013 - 2013 University of the Sunshine Coast Australia Graduate Diploma in Arts – Communications & Public Relations
    2004 - 2005 Goldsmiths University of London United Kingdom Masters in Transnational Communications & Global Media
    1998 - 2001 The University of the Punjab Pakistan Masters in English Literature

  • Certifications
    Date Title Institution name Country
    — Associate Fellow Higher Education Academy United Kingdom

  • Research Interests
    Communication & Media Studies Communication Technology and Digital Media Studies Globalisation and Culture Journalism Studies Sociology Strategic, Defence & Security Studies

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2023 Barbour, K., & Ali, S. (2023). A Sense of Home: two migrant personas during COVID-19. Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, 37(2), 210-223.
    DOI
    2021 Pugsley, P. C., & Ali, S. (2021). Activating Bollywood buzz: Promoting Indian film superstars in supporting roles. Studies in South Asian Film & Media, 13(1), 19-37.
    DOI Scopus1
    2019 Ali, S., & Khattab, U. (2019). Reporting terrorism in Muslim Asia: the Peshawar massacre. Media International Australia, 173(1), 108-124.
    DOI
    2018 Ali, S., & Khattab, U. (2018). Trans-mediatized terrorism: The Sydney Lindt Café siege. Global Media and Communication, 14(3), 301-323.
    DOI Scopus3 WoS2
    2017 Khattab, U., Fonn, B. S., & Ali, S. (2017). Strategic Communication Management of Corporate Crises: Case Analysis. e-Journal of Social and Behavioural Research in Business, 8(1), 15-40.
    2017 Ali, S., & Khattab, U. (2017). East–west trans-mediatisation of terrorism and Islamophobia: Sydney siege and Peshawar massacre. International Communication Gazette, 79(8), 722-745.
    DOI Scopus1 WoS3
    2016 Ali, S., & Khattab, U. (2016). Australian talkback radio prank strategy: a media-made crisis. Journal of Communication Management, 20(1), 56-74.
    DOI Scopus3 WoS1

  • Books
    Year Citation
    2022 Ali, S. (2022). Mediatised Terrorism East-West Narratives of Risk (1st ed.). London, United Kingdom: Routledge.
    DOI
    2019 Sutherland, K., Ali, S., & Khattab, U. (2019). Public Relations and Strategic Communication Contemporary Perspectives. Melbourne, Australia.

Program Director: Master of Media (Strategic Communication)

Course coordinator:

MDIA 1020 Media Professions and Identities (MPI)

MDIA 3203 Media Policy and Media Law III (MPML)

MDIA 7004 Social Media Management (SMM)

MDIA 7006 Risk & Crisis Communication (RCC)

MDIA 7008 Media Masters Research Project

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2023 Principal Supervisor Listening through the Static: De-communalising Indian Partition History through Radio Broadcasts Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Utsha Roy
    2023 Principal Supervisor A study on the impact of representation of gender in popular culture, specifically how females fans engage with female-centred and created media through recent online trends Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Lisa Julia Cooper
    2023 Co-Supervisor QUEER and WORLD MADE FLESH: queer representation within contemporary art museums in Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Miss Brittany Sheree Pfeiffer
    2023 Co-Supervisor The commercialisation of happiness: the depiction of mental health in the social media marketing communications of consumer lifestyle brands Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Ranjani Ragotham
    2022 Co-Supervisor Violent language in populist discourse Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Lucas Sebastian Konstantin Scheel

  • Other Supervision Activities
    Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
    2022 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Inbound Marketing: Why Did it Emerge, What Makes it Significant, and Where Next? University of Adelaide M. Media (Strategic Communication) Master - David Olney
    2022 - 2023 Principal Supervisor The Use of Entertainment Marketing: A comparative analysis of three brands and their marketing strategies on TikTok The University of Adelaide M. Media (Strategic Communication) Master - Lilli Rose
    2021 - 2021 Principal Supervisor Developing a body positive social media strategy for Victoria's Secret University of Adelaide M. Media (Strategic Communication) Master Full Time Malika Marwah
    2021 - 2021 Principal Supervisor Exploring Dark Mofo: Examining Audience Reactions to the Proposed 'Inion Flag' Artwork University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Brittany Pfeiffer
    2021 - 2021 Principal Supervisor Social media strategy in China - A case study of Xiaomi Group University of Adelaide Master of Arts Master Full Time Rong Hu
    2021 - 2021 Principal Supervisor Internet and social media regulation with respect to terrorism in China University of Adelaide Media Master Core Master Full Time Danlu Zhao
    2020 - 2020 Principal Supervisor Privacy laws and rights on social media. The University of Adelaide Media Master Core Master Full Time Hanru Zhou
  • Position: Lecturer
  • Phone: 83131403
  • Email: saira.ali@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Napier, floor 9
  • Org Unit: School of Humanities
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