Amrita Cheema is a journalist of Indian Sikh origin currently working in Australia. She is a news reporter at SBS and part (currently sharing with Janice Peterson) co-presenter for the SBS World News Ausralia nightly news bulletin on Australian television.

Background

Education

Cheema is a Rhodes Scholar with a D.Phil. in Modern History from Oxford University. She went to Britain after obtaining a first class B.A. and M.A. degree from St. Stephen's College, Delhi. She taught nineteenth century German history at the University of Maryland, Bonn, before joining Radio Deutsche Welle's English Service in Cologne.

Career in India

Cheema was an editor and anchor of Star News Sunday in Delhi. This 60-minute programme with investigative reports and live interviews had the highest television rating points for a news and current affairs show in the country. She also anchored prime time Star News English bulletins, Newshour and election specials. In 1994 she was part of a team which launched India's first news and current affairs television channel.

Career in Germany

Cheema moved to Berlin in 1999 to become one of the hosts of the German international broadcasters Deutsche Welle English language edition of the Journal, their television news program. She also produced People and Politics and European Journal. In 2000 she worked on the highly acclaimed DW-TV's documentary The Truth is in no Hurry.

As a journalist, she has interviewed world leaders, dissidents and newsmakers.

Cheema had lived in Europe for more than sixteen years. She says that international television allows her to reach out to people from different cultures as they are drawn together by events larger than themselves. The importance of "news" for her lies in interpreting how it touches the lives of individuals, shapes their perceptions and informs their choices.

Career in Australia

In 2005 Amrita moved to Sydney, Australia and began working for the public multicultural television network SBS Television on World News Australia, where she co-hosts the 6.30 pm bulletin with Anton Enus on weekdays.

“Although I am very Euro-centric since I have lived there for more than 20 years, I am now really looking forward to exploring Australia and South East Asia. My reasons for the move are mainly the proximity to my immediate family – but equally, the new challenge of a new environment. At times I feel I have grossly underestimated the change but one glance outside my apartment window in Sydney where I can see the moon shining on the Opera House and … I can’t wipe the smile off my face!”

“I have family here and had visited them every now and then but the turning point in my perception of Australia came with the Sydney Olympics. The sheer brilliance of the opening ceremony, the self-confidence, the cleverness and style with which it was presented – showed Australia had reached a new self assured phase in the development of its national identity. I began to sit up and take notice. Then I discovered Tim Winton’s writing – and thought if the country can produce such an excellent writer, there is a lot going on in the country in terms of literature and culture which I would like to discover. Of course, the fabulous Australian food, wines and beaches, help!”

She enjoys reading contemporary literature, plays squash, listens to reggae and dances to techno.