Arfa Khanum Sherwani


Arfa Khanum Sherwani is an Indian journalist. She was the only Indian journalist to cover the 2014 Afghan presidential elections. She has received a Red Ink Award, the Sahitya Samman Award from the Hindi Academy, and the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Women Mediapersons. She is currently senior editor at The Wire.

Early life and education

Arfa Khanum Sherwani was born on 1 November 1980 in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. She completed her intermediate studies in the city and obtained a B.Sc. degree from Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut. Khanum obtained a diploma in journalism from the Aligarh Muslim University. She completed her doctoral studies from the Jamia Millia Islamia.

Career

Khanum started her career in journalism in 2000. She joined The Pioneer as an intern. She later worked with The Asian Age and then Sahara TV. She joined NDTV as a principal correspondent and news anchor. She worked with Rajya Sabha TV until 2017 and is currently a senior editor at The Wire.
A 42 second clip was cut from a speech Khanum delivered at the Aligarh Muslim University over Citizenship Act, 2019 and was used to harass her. While talking to the CPJ, she stated that she has received death and rape threats on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Awards