Next Generation Leader
School of Journalism student Ala’a Ibrahim is one of nine winners of the Roy W. Howard National Collegiate Reporting Competition from the Scripps Howard Foundation. The national competition awards an all-expense paid, nine‐day journalism study trip to Japan for winners of the annual competition.
Ibrahim is a senior studying multimedia journalism and business at The University of Texas at Austin. The winners, whose entries represent print, broadcast and online media were chosen for the high quality of their work, an essay about their interest in international affairs and letters of recommendation.
As a visual journalist, Ibrahim focuses on video production, photography, documentary film and reporting. She is a multimedia intern at Austin’s NPR affiliate KUT and is president of UT Austin's chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists.
Ibrahim has held positions at NBCUniversal’s “Meet the Press,” KXAN-TV’s investigative unit, Revelator, The Daily Texan, TSTV, and has contributed video to The New York Times’ special projects unit.
The competition, established in 1984 in cooperation with Indiana University Journalism, honors the memory of the journalist who led Scripps Howard Newspapers Inc. from 1922‐1953 and United Press International from 1912‐1920. This year marks the 12th year that the Scripps Howard Foundation has awarded the study tour to Japan to competition winners.
“The Scripps Howard Foundation develops the next generation of leaders in journalism through programs such as the Roy Howard National Collegiate Reporting Competition,” said Liz Carter, president and CEO of the Scripps Howard Foundation. “This year’s winning applicants represent some of the most talented future journalists, and we look forward to their contributions to the industry.”
From Houston, Texas, Ibrahim is passionate about leadership, public speaking and entrepreneurship.
“Winning this award means so much more than a trip to Japan,” Ibrahim said. “As someone who is passionate about the reporting of global social issues, this is a chance for me to improve my craft. The fact that I'm getting this opportunity as a college student is an honor. I have never traveled to Japan, let alone Asia, so this will be an eye-opening experience."
Upon her return to the United States, Ibrahim will join NBCUniversal as a fellow in New York City.
Travel begins May 11 and includes excursions primarily in the Kansai region cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. Included in the trip is a visit to Hiroshima, the first city in world history to be devastated by the atomic bomb. Ibrahim will also see the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park, in addition to Tokyo.
“Being a journalism student at UT has opened up so many doors for me,” Ibrahim said. “I have met so many influential people, and had such amazing experiences at the J-School. I am so blessed to learn from such prestigious professors. UT offers great opportunities to aspiring journalists and students need to take advantage of that.”
