Top Honor in Journalism

In 2012, Linah Mohammad immigrated to Arlington from Jordan with a goal she’d had since eighth grade in mind: journalism. She says UTA was the place for her because of its “robust TV program, a radio station, and a student newspaper.”

Now, the 2017 graduate with a degree in journalism and broadcasting can call herself a finalist for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize.

Mohammad, a producer on NPR’s All Things Considered, was recognized as a finalist in audio reporting for her work with former colleagues at The Washington Post on the six-part investigative podcast Broken Doors, which examined how American law enforcement uses and misuses no-knock warrants.

“What I really care about is producing impactful journalism,” Mohammad says. “Knowing that after this work was published changes were made in different places means a lot more to me than all of the awards in the world.”

Lance Liguez, faculty advisor for UTA Radio, remembers that Mohammad’s dream was initially to be a foreign correspondent.

“We told her: ‘You have an opportunity to work on your dreams right here. This is a place to start,’” Liguez says. “She jumped into it headfirst and was just a sponge for everything she could learn.”