Biography

Melhem studied philosophy at Villanova University

Villanova University

Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...

, and after graduating in 1976 with his B.A., spent three years working on a doctorate in philosophy at Georgetown University

Georgetown University

Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

, which he did not complete.

During his journalistic career, he has reported for Radio Monte Carlo

Radio Monte Carlo

Radio Monte Carlo is the name of six radio stations owned and managed by three different entities:*RMC Info is a French-speaking station, broadcasting in France and Monaco from Paris with some contributions from Monaco. Radio Monte-Carlo was one of 23 founding broadcasting organisations of the...

, Al-Qabas

Al-Qabas

Al-Qabas is a daily Kuwaiti newspaper published by Dār al-Qabas lil-ṣaḥāfah wa al-ṭibāʿah wa al-nashr. The paper's editor, Mohammed Al-Sager, is a winner of the International Press Freedom Award of the Committee to Protect Journalists "for courageous reporting on political and human rights...

, and An-Nahar

An-Nahar

An-Nahar , is the leading Arabic-language daily newspaper in Lebanon.It was first published on August 4, 1933 as a four-page, hand-set paper. The paper provided a platform for various free thinkers to express their views during the years of the Syria occupation of Lebanon. The paper can be best...

, and been Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 bureau chief for As-Safir

As-Safir

As-Safir meaning The Ambassador, is a leading Arabic-language daily newspaper in Lebanon.It was first published on March 26, 1974 as an Arabic political daily....

. He has also been the Washington bureau chief for Al Arabiya

Al Arabiya

Al Arabiya is a Pan-Arabist Saudi-owned Arabic-language television news channel. Launched on March 3, 2003, the channel is based in Dubai Media City, United Arab Emirates, and is majority-owned by the Saudi broadcaster Middle East Broadcasting Center ....

, and hosted their U.S.-Arab relations program, Across the Ocean, for four years. Melhem writes for various publications, appears on news programs, and does speaking engagements.

On January 26, 2009, Al Arabiya News Network was given the first interview with President Barack Obama, and Melhem, as bureau chief of the Washington, D.C. office, conducted the interview.