First Somali American on-air TV reporter in Twin Cities getting good reviews

Ubah Ali's siblings called her nosy growing up. Now she's putting those skills to good use as the first Somali American on-air TV reporter in the Twin Cities.

Ali, 27, was hired in September by WCCO-TV, where she was an intern in 2017. She recently spent two years as a reporter at WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee, where she was the first on-air reporter in Wisconsin to wear a hijab.

In an interview for WTMJ, Ali said she went back and forth about whether to wear a hijab on air while interning at KARE 11, and finally decided to go ahead after a mentor talked to her about presenting a consistent look to the audience.

Ali was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and her family immigrated to Rochester when she was a little over a year old. During her junior year of high school, Ali told her counselor she wanted to explore journalism. She was placed in the Mayo Clinic's public affairs department, which she loved — even if some of the medical jargon went over her head.

Ali attended St. Cloud State University, where she honed her skills at the school's student-run TV station. After internships with KARE 11 and WCCO, she graduated and landed a job at KTTC-TV in Rochester.

In the short time since her hiring this fall at WCCO, she's been overwhelmed with positive messages from the Somali and Muslim communities.

"My mom has been inundated with calls and people saying, 'Oh, we're so excited!' " Ali said. "So it's been nothing but welcoming vibes. Everyone's just been super excited that I'm here."

Hadeal Rizeq, a Muslim woman studying journalism at the University of Minnesota, said hearing about Ali being hired at WCCO has inspired her to push forward toward her dream of becoming a journalist.

"Just seeing other hijabi women makes me feel so happy inside," Rizeq said. "In terms of a Muslim woman just getting into the field, it's just really exciting. We're empowering generations to come."

Ali said she hopes she can report more stories on people who have never been in front of a camera.

"That's something I strive for, because we get into this cycle of interviewing the same people over and over again," she said. "So any time someone says, 'It's my first interview,' I just get super giddy and excited, no matter the topic."

Outside of work, Ali loves to travel; she's been to the Middle East, Africa and Europe. She described one trip in particular as "incredible": her first time visiting Somalia, in 2017.

A recent college graduate at the time, Ali was asked by her aunt where she wanted to travel. When she said Dubai, her aunt suggested they also fly to Somalia since it was only a 4-1/2-hour flight away. Ali agreed.

"I had the best time," she said. "They have the most beautiful beaches, they've got the best food. Everything is authentic, organic. The people are so vibrant."

The trip was also a great opportunity to listen in on conversations, she said. One thing that stood out to her in Somalia and some other countries she's visited was how much less people there focus on time.

"In America, in my opinion, we're so honed in on time," Ali said. "Like, at this time I'm going to do this, at this time I'm going to have lunch, and at this time I'm going to have dinner. When I've traveled internationally, time doesn't make anyone think of what to do next, they just live life."

She added that she walked away from the Somalia trip with a better understanding and appreciation of her mother's efforts in emigrating to the United States with no English language skills.

Ali said that if she could give advice to young Muslim women in journalism, it would be to hone their skills and persevere.

"You'll run into a lot of no's, but don't let that deter you," she said. "That's something I wish someone would have told me. My mom says what's meant for you will be — it's so true to me. There were a lot of no's in the beginning. I persevered, and here I am."

When her family visited the Twin Cities from Rochester, they always went to Karmel Mall, a Somali shopping center in south Minneapolis. Ali said she's excited to explore more of the Twin Cities and its restaurants now that she's back in Minnesota.

Looking ahead to winter, Ali said she's excited to try something new: snowboarding.

"It's something I feel like I should check off my list," she said. "So I'm working on it. This winter is my winter."

About the partnership

This story comes to you from Sahan Journal, a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to covering Minnesota's immigrants and communities of color. Sign up for a free newsletter to receive Sahan's stories in your inbox.