Alina Arshad JMS'28 Awarded Prestigious David Carr Scholarship

First-year student and Journalism and Media Studies major Alina Arshad has been named a 2026 recipient of the coveted David Carr Scholarship. Sponsored by The Sunday Long Read, the scholarship enables ten journalists or journalism students to attend the Power of Narrative Conference: Repairing, Restoring, Reconnecting, Through True Storytelling at no cost.

Alina Arshad JMS'28

Hosted by the Boston University College of Communication, the conference is for "writers, editors, and lovers of narrative non-fiction," and the David Carr Scholarship was established to "provide a professional conference experience for journalists who belong to historically underrepresented groups in journalism" and "to honor the late David Carr, the extraordinary New York Times journalist who taught at Boston University and dedicated himself to mentorship," according to Boston University and The Sunday Long Read.

“This is the top conference in the country for guidance in long-form storytelling, and an amazing learning opportunity for our students,” said Associate Professor of Professional Practice, Journalism and Media Studies, Mary D’Ambrosio, who also teaches a course in narrative nonfiction. “Big congratulations to the talented Alina on being chosen for this honor!"

Arshad, who also plans to double major in Biology and minor in French and is the co-president of the Society of Professional Journalists Rutgers campus chapter, said, "I’m excited to connect with industry professionals at the conference which is what the SPJ chapter at Rutgers is all about. We want to help JMS majors get real experience, have opportunities to learn more about the profession, and build professional relationships."

Having learned of the opportunity from D'Ambrosio, Arshad said, "I noticed that journalists of color and LGBTQ journalists were encouraged to apply. I believe that diversity is important and necessary in this industry, so I appreciate that BU and The Sunday Long Read are committed to creating a more diverse future in journalism."

The theme of this year's conference, "Repairing… Restoring… Reconnecting… Through True Storytelling," BU wrote, was chosen because "We live in a world inundated with tweets, hot takes, and breaking news alerts that dominate our thoughts for a moment and our news cycles for a day or two. Such a scattershot media environment only increases the power of narrative. Narrative penetrates the heart of the subject and the hearts of the audience. Bits of news or information rarely change our perspective about the world or our place in it. Narrative nonfiction rarely fails to do so."

I noticed that journalists of color and LGBTQ journalists were encouraged to apply. I believe that diversity is important and necessary in this industry, so I appreciate that BU and The Sunday Long Read are committed to creating a more diverse future in journalism.

Alina Arshad 

Arshad said publishing long-form journalism is important in 2026 and beyond because, "As attention spans continue to shrink, journalists are pressured to come up with the most attention-grabbing headlines. Publications have to pump out insane amounts of content, and everything needs to be SEO optimized. Sometimes I feel like I’m writing for an algorithm, not an audience. Long-form journalism doesn’t require that of me, which is freeing." 

Their role at the SPJ, Arshad explains, entails "a variety of responsibilities, mostly just trying to get things going for us. Logistics and bureaucracy are a large part of it. The most rewarding aspect is having a community with others who share my interests and career aspirations."

In addition to focusing on strengthening their journalism skills this semester, Arshad is also broadening their non‑fiction writing skills as a Rutgers student who was selected to take the Creative Writing Cohort taught by Roxane Gay, the Gloria Steinem Endowed Chair in Media, Culture, and Feminist Studies. Through this non‑credit program, Arshad and their classmates are working closely with Gay to refine their writing and editing abilities and gain insight into navigating the publishing industry.

Looking ahead, Arshad plans to pursue a career in journalism after graduation. "I love analyzing fashion and pop culture, and sometimes my analysis does get political," they explained. "I also enjoy writing creatively and writing poetry. I published some of my poems in The Rutgers Review and The Anthologist last semester."

Learn more about the Journalism and Media Studies major on the Rutgers School of Communication and Information website. 

Image provided by Alina Arshad.