Industry: Writing and Editing

Additional Information

Neheda Barakat has consistently proven over the last two decades not only that she is dedicated to journalism, but also that she is committed to excellence.

Neheda Barakat has been honored with one of journalism’s prestigious awards, the Melbourne Press Club’s Quill Award, two years running. The first instance was in 1999 when she produced a segment for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABCTV) regarding a gas explosion in the Sale, Victoria Longford plant. The piece investigated the claims of two former employees who were willing to leak information that exposed some questionable tactics used by the multi-national energy firm Exxon to minimize its liability in the disaster. The second award had to do with energy policy and deregulation of electricity in Victoria. The story exposed a double standard taking place within the privatization scheme, showing that the state was under severe restrictions while the private company was reaping record profits by selling electricity to another state. As a result , Victoria subsequently amended its energy policies.

Neheda Barakat was promoted to Executive Producer shortly after her awards, and given an assignment to create a weekly national business program for ABCTV.

Ms. Barakat used her nose for news to create and manage a show that for three years was one of the most well-known and respected business TV programs in Australia.

Subsequently, Ms. Barakat took up a post with AJE in Kuala Lumpur, and then relocated to New York to work with the United Nations TV News/Features division. There she produced and researched stories on a variety of hard hitting subjects, from war crimes in the Congo, to Iraqi refugees living in Syria to the impact of the conflict on Israeli and Palestinian children.