Reporting from frontline wins second Walkley

RMIT University graduate Fouad Hady has won his second Walkley Award, Australia's most prestigious journalism prize.

Baghdad-born Mr Hady came to Australia as a refugee in 2001 and began working for SBS's Dateline while completing his advanced diploma in film and television at RMIT.

His winning SBS report, "Iraq's Deadly Legacy", investigated the link between an increase in cancer and birth defects in Iraq and the fallout of war.

Mr Hady travelled to Fallujah and Baghdad in Iraq to interview locals suffering from an increasing number of health problems.

Mothers who were pregnant in 2004 during the violent fighting between insurgents and US forces told how they suffered miscarriages or how their children were born with severe disabilities.

Many suspect that the depleted uranium used in US artillery is to blame for the birth defects and health problems.

"There are increasing numbers of people in Iraq with deformities and diseases like leukaemia," Mr Hady said. "I could see the situation when I go back there. It really affects me."

The Walkley judges said the story was: "A simply stunning piece of television reportage. This investigation linked the use of depleted uranium munitions in Iraq to a catastrophic wave of birth defects and deformities in the country.

"Working as a lone video journalist in a dangerous environment, Hady gave us a raw and shocking story, beautifully told. A leader in the current affairs category."

The story also won a United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Award.

In 2009, Mr Hady's story "City of Widows" about the thousands of widows and homeless families in war-torn Iraq was also awarded a Walkley.

"I was surprised when I won in 2010 because I thought they won't give me an award two years in a row," Mr Hady said.

His Iraqi heritage gives him unique access and a detailed knowledge of Iraq when reporting for Dateline, including contact with people whose voice is rarely heard in the mainstream media.

But it's not an easy job - reporting from Iraq is often dangerous and can be emotionally trying.

"It's good to go back to Iraq and see family and friends," he said. "But on the other side, it's a disaster there. When you go onto the street - you see the dust, sickness and bombings, and it affects you."

After arriving in Australia in 2001, Mr Hady spent a year in Curtin Detention Centre before becoming an Australian citizen and moving to Melbourne.

He applied to study film and television at RMIT, because, he said: "I wanted to get more experience and learn new techniques in the industry. I learned a lot from teachers and friends and it was a really good experience."

He has since worked on a number of documentaries for the ABC and SBS. This year, Mr Hady will continue his work with Dateline and will file more stories from Iraq.

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