Print and online journalist with a love for photography based in Dearborn, MI.

As a member of Dearborn’s large and vibrant Arab American community, I think I bring a different perspective to my work. Whether I’m photographing exceptional projects, profiling changemakers, covering breaking news or investigating corruption, I always strive to put the story first.

I’m the Detroit City Hall and investigative reporter for The Detroit News. Aside from my beat, I focus on daily coronavirus reporting in Michigan, immigration topics, culture and communities. I most recently partnered with the New York-Michigan Solutions Journalism Collaborative to write a series on a national caregiver shortage during the pandemic with a focus on solutions journalism.

I joined the breaking news desk in 2017 after graduating from Wayne State University with a bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in new media studies. I am a graduate of the Journalism Institute for Media Diversity, an honors program at the university. I not only represent Arab Americans in newsrooms but also serve as president of the Michigan chapter of (AAJA) Asian American Journalists Association.

While many topics go under a microscope by journalists, many communities continue to be underrepresented. Our jobs, in part, are to give a microphone to the voiceless. I strive to gain the trust of the public and our readers, especially in a time of uncertainty. Restoring faith that journalism is a public necessity and that it can remain as ethical during the social media era as when Edward R. Murrow was relaying details of WWII. In doing so, I believe we are truly still crafting the first rough draft of history.

Please contact me directly for projects.

sarahal6611@gmail.com