Saima Saeed
Professor
Centre for Culture Media and Governance, Jamia Millia Islamia
Hony. Deputy Media Coordinator, Jamia Millia Islamia
Email: ssaeed1@jmi.ac.in
saima.saeed26@gmail.com
Dr. Saima Saeed has a diverse work experience spanning across media
industry, media teaching and research. An alumnus of AJK Mass Communication
Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia and Lady Shri Ram College for Women,
University of Delhi, she completed her doctoral studies from the Department of Social
Work, Jamia Millia Islamia on the role of television in ushering in, catalyzing and
sustaining social development.
Dr Saeed joined the Centre for Culture, Media and Governance, Jamia Millia Islamia,
New Delhi as part of its founding team and has been with it ever since. Prior to this,
she has worked as a media professional and has been associated with some leading
news channels in India like NDTV 24X7 and Headlines Today, TV Today Group.
She has also taught as Lecturer at the Amity School of Communication, Noida and
New Delhi for over two years.
Her research interests include news and television studies, media and democracy,
political communication, media and minorities and election studies.
Academic Qualifications:
S.No.
Degree
Ph. D.
Grade
Name of Institutes
Awarded
Dept. of Social Work, Jamia Millia
Islamia (JMI), New Delhi
2
UGC NET in Mass
Comm. and Journalism
Awarded
University Grants Commission
3
M.A.( Mass
Communication)
1st Div, 3rd
position
(68%)
AJK Mass Communication Research
Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia
4
B.A. English (Hons)
1st Div.
Lady Shri Ram College for Women
(LSR), Delhi University
1
(60%)
1
Books Published
Title: Screening the Public Sphere: Media and Democracy in India
Author: Saima Saeed
Publisher: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group
Year: 2013
ISBN: 978-0-415-81244-3
Link:
http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415812443/
Short Description: Screening the Public Sphere: Media and Democracy in India
expounds an original social theory of media by positing four concepts — citizenship, public
knowledge, criticality and power — as central to an understanding and evaluation of
contemporary journalistic practice, ownership patterns and content, while framing the role
and relationship of television news with regard to democracy and development. It
conceptualizes the media, especially news and information, as fundamental to the debates
surrounding its wider implications on the changing nature of democracy, citizenship, political
participation, civic engagement and development.
Drawing upon comprehensive empirical data, the democracy–media–development
relationship is demonstrated through critical analyses of the media’s coverage of recent news
events. This includes exhaustive content examination of news programmes on all major news
channels of India, surveys with media experts and news professionals by way of
questionnaires, and interviews with the audience to gauge the impact of media content on
their understanding of social, political and economic issues.
Publications: Journal Articles and Book Chapters
Saeed, Saima (2016) ‘Safeguarding Educational Rights of
Minorities’ Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. LI No. 29
http://www.epw.in/system/files/pdf/2016_51/29/Safeguarding_Edu
cational_Rights_of_Minorities_0.pdf
Saeed, Saima (2015) ‘Phantom Journalism: Governing India’s
Proxy Media Owners’, Journalism Studies, pp: 663- 669,
DOI:10.1080/1461670X.2015.1054174
Saeed, Saima (2014) ‘Consent or Coercion: 2014 Election in India
as a Media Conquest’ in Einar Thorsen and Chindu Sreedharan
edited India Election 2014: First Reflections, Centre for the Study
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of Journalism, Culture and Community, Bournemouth University:
Poole, England, pp. 31-52, ISBN: 978-1-910042-04-5 [paperback]
Saeed, Saima (2014) ‘Children Participation in India: Framing Law, Policy
and the Media’, in E Kay M Tisdall, Andressa Gadda and Udi Butler (eds.)
Children and Young People's Participation: Challenging Cross-Country
Perspectives, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 91-112, ISBN 978-0-230-34867-7
Saeed, Saima (2013) ‘Media Coverage of Islam: Goodbye Honest Journalism’
Vol XXXVII No. 10 The Book Review, ISSN: 0970-4175.
Saeed, Saima (May 2012) ‘Neoliberal Media and Rural India’s
Communication Divide’, Media Development, 2/2012. ISSN/ISBN: 01435558.
Saeed, Saima (Feb. 2010) ‘News Media, Public Diplomacy and the War on
Terror’ in M. Zweiri and Emma C. Murphy (eds.) The New Arab Media:
Technology, Image and Perception, Ithaca Press, Berkshire, U.K. ISBN: 13:
978-0-86372-347-6, 2010
Saeed, Saima (2009) ‘Negotiating Power: Community Media, Democracy and
the Public Sphere’, Development in Practice, Vol. 19, No. 4/5, Taylor &
Francis, Routledge, U.K. DOI: 10.1080/09614520902866314, . ISSN: 09614524
Saeed, Saima (2008) ‘The Theatre of 9/11: News Media, Public Diplomacy
and the ‘War on Terror’, Third Frame: Literature, Culture and Society, Vol. 1,
No. 3, September 2008, Foundation Books, Cambridge University Press, New
Delhi. ISSN: 0974-1542
Book Reviews published:
Saeed, Saima (2015)’ Indian News Media: From Observer to
Participation by Usha Rodrigues, Vol. XXXIX No. 7.
Saeed, Saima (2014) ‘When Media Goes to War: Hegemonic Discourse,
Public Opinion, and the Limits of Dissent by Anthony DiMagggio, Vol
XXXVIII No. 10
Saeed, Saima (2013) Media Gender and Popular Culture in India by
Dasgupta, Sinha and Chakravarti, Vol XXXVII, No.2-3, South Asia
Special
Saeed, Saima (2012) ‘Why Panic if ‘The Moslems are Coming?’, The
Book Review, Vol XXXVI, No. 8, August 2012
Saeed, Saima (2012) ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly?’, The Book
Review, Vol XXXVI, , No.9, South Asia XX-1, September 2012
Saeed, Saima (2011) Book Review of Woman as Spectator and
Spectacle: Essays on Women and Media edited by K. Durga Bhavani
and C. Vijayasree for The Book Review, Vol. XXXV, No. 6, June 2011
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Research Projects: Ongoing and Submitted
1) Co-Coordinator, CPEPA (UGC – Centre with Potential for Excellence in
Particular Areas) Centre for Culture, Media and Governance, Jamia Millia
Islamia.
2) Project Investigator (PI), UGC-MRP titled, ‘Media, Democracy and the
2014 General Election in India, Duration: 2015-18.
3) UGC DRS-I , Co-editor Vol. 1, Centre for Centre for Culture, Media and
Governance, Jamia Millia Islamia
4) Project Director –ICCSR Sponsored Research Project titled: ‘Minorities
and the Indian Press: Marginalization and Exclusion in the News Media’,
2013; Status: Submitted.
5) Part of the research team formed to undertake a ‘Baseline Survey in Minority
Concentration Districts of India’ jointly undertaken by the Ministry of
Minority Affairs, Government of India, ICSSR, New Delhi and Jamia
Millia Islamia in 2007-08 under Prof. Mushirul Hasan, the then Vice
Chancellor, JMI. The Reports are a major policy document to design and
undertake future developmental activities in the two districts.
About the project: The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MMA), GOI, along with the
ICSSR had sponsored a baseline survey of relative backwardness in 90 districts in
the country having substantial number of minorities (at least 25%) in order to
initiate relevant programmes for the socio-economic and infra-structural
development of these communities and districts. Under the overall coordination of
the ICSSR, four research institutes and two Universities were involved in this
Baseline Survey of the Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs). The work
began in 2007 and was completed in 2008.
The Report of North East Delhi is available at:
http://www.icssr.org/Baseline%20Survey%20of%20North%20East%20Delhi.pdf
The Report of the Bhopal District is available at:
http://www.icssr.org/Baseline%20Survey%20of%20Bhopal%20District.pdf
Consultancy
Part of a high level six-member committee appointed by the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting (I&B), Govt. of India through Edcil India Limited,
to conceptualize, design and prepare the course curriculum for the upcoming
university of mass communication affiliated with IIMC, New Delhi. Worked as a
Consultant to provide ‘academic inputs’ on this project on ‘Converting IIMC into
an International Media University’ from 2008-09
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Papers Presented at International and National Conferences
‘Minorities and the Indian Media: Mapping Marginalisation, Interrogating
Representation’, and Inequality:An India-Canada Comparison, York
University, Canada, Toronto, 8-9 June, 2015.
Cataclysmic events, Muslim Representation and the Indian Media’, National
Seminar, Media and Minorities: Text, Context and Discourse, , Jamia Millia
Islamia 13-14 October, 2015
‘Globalization and the News: Media ownership in India and Why it Matters’,
International Seminar, Jamia Millia Islamia and York University, Canada,
Understanding Globalization in a Cross-Cultural Setting, 18-19 February,
2014
‘Media’s Romance of the ‘Red’ : Myth-Making, the Maoist Insurgency and
the news ‘text’’, National Seminar on Insurgency and Development, Jamia
Millia Islamia, 28-29 January, 2014
‘Contours of Public Service Broadcasting—A Comparative Analysis of India
and Europe’, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, 15th March, 2013.
‘Television News and the Deficit in Development Reportage’, International
Conference on Media Governance, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 27th
February, 2013.
‘Media Reportage and Child Labour’, V V Giri National Institute of Labour,
NOIDA, February 8, 2013.
‘Reporting the Muslim: Decolonizing the Stereotypes of Mediated Islam’, at
the Institut International de Sociologie (IIS) 40th World Congress, Delhi,
February 18, 2012.
‘Towards a Political Economy of Television News in India: The
Corporatization of News Content’ at the Indo- Swiss Seminar, February 16,
2010
‘Broadcast democracy, breaking news and the big rating game: Serving the
public with news as entertainment?’, at the XXXIInd Indian Social Science
Congress, Delhi, December 19, 2008
‘Community radio: A cross-national perspective’ on 25th June, 2008 at the
Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
‘The theatre of 9/11: Media technology and the ‘war on terror’- at an
International Conference at the University of Durham, Durham, United
Kingdom, 20-21 September, 2007
‘Media Ecology, Globalization and Development Communication’- at a
symposia on Communication for Social Development at the University of
Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India, 1st-3rd November, 2007.
'Community Radio: Policies, Power and Possibilities’ at an International
conference - eINDIA2007, 31 July to 03 August 2007, New Delhi, India.
Public Lecture
‘Media Ownership, Corporate Control and the Changing Nature of Journalism’,
Centre for Media Studies,,JNU, March 29, 2016.
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Invited Lectures and Talks delivered:
‘Studying Texts’, Refresher Course in Research Methodology, Centre for
Professional Development in Higher Education, University of Delhi, June 23,
2015.
‘Visual Research Methods’, Centre for the Study of Law and Governance,
JNU, October 20, 2015
‘Discourse Analysis, Refresher Course in Research Methodology, Centre for
Professional Development in Higher Education, University of Delhi, June 23,
2015
‘Media and Human Rights: Unpacking the Politics of Representation and
Exclusion’ Workshop on Human Rights, Centre for Professional Development
in Higher Education, University of Delhi, July 8, 2015
‘Political Rhetoric’, Dept of Political Science, Invited talk, Motilal Nehru
College, University of Delhi, April 8, 2015
‘Communicating Skill Development Programmes Effectively through Media’,
Resource person Training programme, V.V.Giri National Labour Institute,
NOIDA, August 19, 2015
‘Instruments of Transformation: Transparency, Accountability & Indian
Democracy’, International Summer School, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi,
July 5, 2013
‘Media, Democracy and Violence’ Kalindi College, Delhi University, Seminar
talk, 7 March, 2014
Chaired a session ‘Media and Gender’ at the National Seminar at Guru Govind
Singh I P University on 28 February, 2014
Lecture titled, ‘News Media and Democracy: Framing Conflict from a Human
Rights Perspective', UNDP-CCMG training programme for journalists, 1
October, 2013.
‘Media Landscape in India’, Training programme for a delegation of
journalists from Bhutan, 18th November, 2013, CCMG, JMI
‘Youth in dealing with Child Labour: Enabling Role of Media’, Resource
person Training programme, V.V.Giri National Labour Institute, NOIDA, 48 February, 2013
Lectures delivered at OP and RC, Academic Staff College, Jamia Millia Islamia
‘Media, Democracy and the 2014 General Election, 13th 3-weekRefresher
Course in Political Science, November 28, 2014.
‘News Media and Democracy in India’, 110th 4-week Orientation Programme,
November 18, 2014
‘Media and Contemporary Coverage of Maoism’, 3rd 3-week Special Summer
School, May 26, 2014
News Media and Democracy (2 sessions), 109th 4-week Orientation
Programme, August 13, 2014
‘Political Economy of Communication in India’, 22 February, 2013
‘Contemporary Newscape in India’, 104th 4-week Orientation Programme,
April 22, 2013
‘Media and Democracy in India’, 1 February 2013
6
‘Media and Politics’, 22 April, 2013
“News, Media and Democracy” on 31 May 2013
“New Media & Democracy” on 29 Oct’13
‘Content Analysis in Social Science Research’ 7 January, 2014
“News, Media and Democracy”, OP, 07 Jan’14
‘Television News and Elections in India’, RC on Media Studies and
Governance, 21 Jan’14
‘Media and the contemporary coverage of Maoism’, May 26, 2014
Teaching Profile
Ph. D. Supervision and Ph. D. Course Coordinator, CCMG
Ph. D. course papers taught:
i. Theoretical Orientation in Communication (2013- 2014)
ii. Communication Research Methods (2011, 2012)
iii.
Post graduate teaching- M.A. (Media Governance)-Papers taughti. Social Construction of News
ii. Media and Margins
iii. Communication Research Methods
iv. Global and Comparative Media Policy in India (2008-2010)
v.
Transnational Communication (2008-2010)
Bachelor’s programme taught (2008-10)- Media and Society and
News and Society
Curriculum Design and Development
Designed two new papers to be offered as optionals at CCMG in the future
1) News and citizenship and
2) Media and Margins with Dr Athikho Kaisii
Part of the core team of CCMG to design the two year post graduate
programme, M.A. (Media Governance) programme at the Centre for Culture,
Media and Governance.
Wrote a module on ‘News Sources’ for the Communication course of IGNOU.
Contributed in designing the course curricula of Dept. of Journalism, School
of Media, Communication and Information Sciences, Sikkim University,
Gangtok.
Courses Attended
Attended the 102nd Orientation Programme, Academic Staff College,
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 10th October 2012- 10th November 2011.
Selected for the competitive full SUN scholarship to study the course
‘Media, Democratization and Civil Society’ from June 16th 2008 to 28th
7
June 2008 at Budapest, Hungary. The course directed by Prof. Monroe Price
and Prof. Miklos Sukosd was jointly organized by the Annenberg School of
Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, the Center for Media and
Communication (CMCS) at the Central European University, Budapest and
the COST A30 Action Research Agenda.
Attended a training programme on ‘Basic and Advanced Analysis using
SPSS’ from 15th – 18th July, 2008, at Jamia Hamdard University, New
Delhi.
A week long training in journalism and in Social Reporting by the BBC
World Service Trust from the 9th June, 2008 to 13th June 2008 in New
Delhi.
Participated at ‘Global Voices Citizens Media Summit 2008, June27-28,
2008, at the Novotel Budapest Centrum, Rakoczi ut 43-45, Budapest.
Conferences, short courses and Workshops organized
Course Coordinator, 1st Refresher Course offered by the Centre for Culture,
Media and Governance, 15th Feb. 2013- 08th March, 2013
Coordinator and Member organizing committee of international conference,
Understanding Globalization in a Cross-Cultural Setting, 18-19 February,
2014, sponsored by ICSSR. This conference was a result of an MoU between
Jamia Millia Islamia and York University, Canada.
Part of organizing committee of training workshop for journalists from
Afghanistan, UNDP-CCMG training programme for journalists, 1 October,
2013.
Conceptualised, designed and successfully executed a training workshop on
Community radio –Theory and practice in collaboration with OneWorld
South Asia in October 2007 for the students at Jamia and others interested in
New Delhi. The students were provided with hands-on-skills to enable them
make their own community radio programs so as to better utilize their own
Radio station at Jamia- Radio Jamia.
Organised a Symposium- ‘Media and the Indian State’ in Jamia Millia Islamia
on the 3rd August, 2007
Organised a talk and group discussion with Tsunami victims from S E Asia
followed by a photo-exhibition on ‘Violence against women post natural
disaster’ in collaboration with South Asian Women’s Group on the 30th March,
2007
Additional Responsibilities and Corporate Life of the University:
Hony. Deputy Media Coordinator and Spokesperson, Jamia Millia Islamia
(Feb. 2016 onwards)
Member, Vision Document Committee, JMI
Member, Committee of Studies, Sarojini Naidu Centre for Women’s Studies,
Jamia Millia Islamia, 2014
Member, Human Rights Forum, Jamia Millia Islamia, 2013
Assistant Superintendent of Examination, JMI, June 2011, 2012.
Coordinator, Social Service Society, Jamia Millia Islamia in 2010-11.
_________________
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