Names of supervisors and affiliated institutions:
Professor Ekaterina Balabanova (Department of Communication and Media, University of Liverpool); Dr. Ataa Alsalloum (School of Architecture, University of Liverpool); Dr. Richard Stupart (Department of Communication and Media, University of Liverpool)
Email address: K.Ali4@liverpool.ac.uk
Research Topic:
There is a long history between the media and the children of wars and conflicts. History further indicates that image of the victim child is more than just an image and that it has been used to create propaganda by media in several ways. The overuse of such pictures in the media is abusive to children and their tragedies. This research explores the impact of publishing images of children during wars and conflicts to influence public opinion and decision-makers and examines the role that these images play in making political decisions and changing events. In addition to analysing the distinct roles that the media play in exploiting the suffering of children in times of war and political conflicts, this research also focuses on the impact of publishing children’s images during wars and conflicts on the lives of children and their psychological and mental health in the long term. A descriptive design of research will be adopted to conduct this research and analysis will be made of qualitative data collected from secondary sources.
Research areas:
Children and war; children in media; children’s rights; the exploitation of children (specifically in Syria and Ukraine); ethics of photographing children.
Academic achievements:
Between 2020 and 2021, I completed my master’s degree in the field of international journalism. My thesis focused on the Al-Jazeera News Channel, examining both its Arabic and English versions. Specifically, I analysed the differences between the two channels in terms of their methods of broadcasting news and their distinct orientations towards different audiences. As a native Arabic speaker who is also English speaker, I was able to draw on my language skills to successfully complete my dissertation.
In 2023 I was one of the finalists in the 3-minute thesis competition at the University of Liverpool.
Teaching experience:
As someone of Syrian origin who lived through the Syrian war and witnessed the suffering of refugees, I was motivated to volunteer with various associations and organizations that provide aid and services to refugees, particularly children. Alongside my volunteer work, I also worked with children to address their educational needs. This experience has proved invaluable to my doctoral research.