SBS journalist Yaara Bou Melhem wins Young Walkley

Dateline journalist Yaara Bou Melhem won the 2011 Walkley Young Australian Journalist of the Year yesterday for her coverage of the people’s democracy movement in Syria.

Regarding the video investigation called Freedom’s Call, a statement by SBS said, “Bou Melhem spent a month solo in Syria researching and filming, beneath the radar of the secret police, who were monitoring mobile phones. She was able to persuade dissidents and their relatives to talk about the seeds of the people’s democracy movement.”

“Judges were impressed by Bou Melhem’s courage, resourcefulness, storytelling and technical expertise: ‘Yaara took significant personal risks by venturing into Syria and her work has shone a light on the lengths to which the Syrian government would go to silence its critics.’ judges said.”