The United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney has awarded its 2014 media fellowship, in partnership with the World Press Institute, to Shalailah Medhora from the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS).

Medhora was selected from a strong field of early- to mid-career Australian journalists to travel to the United States in August this year where she will join nine international World Press Fellows for a two month immersion in US politics, business, culture, and media.

“In an era of global media, the 24-hour news cycle and convergence of media platforms, having an international perspective is becoming a prerequisite for the best journalism and editorial practice,” says chief executive of the Centre, Professor Bates Gill.

“Shalailah is already very talented in her field and the fellowship will provide an invaluable opportunity for her to further enrich her understanding of American institutions and culture, while meeting and working alongside journalists from around the globe.”

Shalailah Medhora joined SBS in 2007 as a producer for youth show Alchemy. She moved through the ranks of radio and online news before starting in television. She has been based at SBS’s Parliament House bureau in Canberra since 2011. Before joining SBS, Medhora worked for Sydney community radio stations 2NSB FM and FBi. She completed a Bachelor of Media with Honours in Politics at Macquarie University.

The fellowship based at the World Press Institute in Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota will see Medhora travel to Washington DC, New York, and other major US cities as part of a program of study, travel, and interviews.

This is the fourth year that the United States Studies Centre World Press Institute Fellowship has been awarded.