Michael Gawenda
Encyclopedia
Michael Gawenda is an Australia
n journalist and was editor of The Age
from 1997 to 2004. He was appointed inaugural Director of The Centre for Advanced Journalism at The University of Melbourne, launched in 2009. The Centre's mission is to improve the practice of journalism through the creation of new partnerships - between journalists and media organisations and the University; and between journalists and the general community to stimulate public debate on important issues facing journalism. Upon Gawenda's appointment to The University of Melbourne, Vice-Chancellor Professor Glyn Davis said,
“Michael Gawenda is one of Australia’s best known and most distinguished journalists. The University is fortunate to have him on board to oversee the development of this important project.”
in Austria
just after the end of the Second World War. His family moved to Melbourne
, Australia in 1949. Gawenda attended a state school. He studied economics and politics at a university.
cartoon which juxtaposed an image of a Jew standing at the gates of Auschwitz with an image of a Jew with a gun standing at the border between Israel and Palestine. The two images were clearly ironic and Leunig subsequently claimed that Gawenda did not understand the point he was making. Gawenda said "I think it’s just inappropriate. Anyone seeing that cartoon would think it inappropriate."
In 2004, The Age endorsed the Liberal Party
in the 2004 federal election. The website Crikey
claimed he had caved to pressure from The Ages owners, Fairfax Media
. In an interview with Jon Faine
on 774 ABC Melbourne
, Gawenda defended his editorial stance and said the allegation from Crikey was a lie.
player Harvey Silver.
correspondent.
Gawenda's final article from Washington was published on 28 May 2007 when he announced he will be returning to Australia and would no longer be writing for The Age. This led to the publication in August 2007 of a book, American Notebook, sub-titled A Personal and Political Journey, about American politics and rationalising his support for the 2003 invasion of Iraq
.
website from February to November 2009. The posts from February to June were collected in a volume titled Rocky & Gawenda http://catalogue.mup.com.au/978-0-522-85697-2.html. The book, published by Melbourne University Press, is composed of short essays, observations and recollections, mostly reflecting on aspects of his own life: family, especially his two children; dogs; blogging; the pleasure he finds in food; friends and funerals.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n journalist and was editor of The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
from 1997 to 2004. He was appointed inaugural Director of The Centre for Advanced Journalism at The University of Melbourne, launched in 2009. The Centre's mission is to improve the practice of journalism through the creation of new partnerships - between journalists and media organisations and the University; and between journalists and the general community to stimulate public debate on important issues facing journalism. Upon Gawenda's appointment to The University of Melbourne, Vice-Chancellor Professor Glyn Davis said,
“Michael Gawenda is one of Australia’s best known and most distinguished journalists. The University is fortunate to have him on board to oversee the development of this important project.”
Life as a refugee
Gawenda was born in a refugee campRefugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
just after the end of the Second World War. His family moved to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia in 1949. Gawenda attended a state school. He studied economics and politics at a university.
Career
He started his career in 1970, joining The Age as a cadet journalist. In 1997 he became an editor and in 2003 the editor-in-chief. Before that, was a senior editor with TIME. During 2002 he became the subject of controversy when, As Editor-in Chief, he rejected a Michael LeunigMichael Leunig
Michael Leunig , typically referred to as Leunig, is an Australian poet, cartoonist and cultural commentator. His best known works include The Adventures of Vasco Pyjama and the Curly Flats series...
cartoon which juxtaposed an image of a Jew standing at the gates of Auschwitz with an image of a Jew with a gun standing at the border between Israel and Palestine. The two images were clearly ironic and Leunig subsequently claimed that Gawenda did not understand the point he was making. Gawenda said "I think it’s just inappropriate. Anyone seeing that cartoon would think it inappropriate."
In 2004, The Age endorsed the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
in the 2004 federal election. The website Crikey
Crikey
Crikey is an independent Australian electronic magazine comprising an open access website and an email newsletter available to subscribers. Well known in Australian political, media and business circles, Crikey was described by former Federal Opposition Leader Mark Latham as the "most popular...
claimed he had caved to pressure from The Ages owners, Fairfax Media
Fairfax Media
Fairfax Media Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The group's operations include newspapers, magazines, radios and digital media operating in Australia and New Zealand. Fairfax Media was founded by the Fairfax family as John Fairfax and Sons, later to become John...
. In an interview with Jon Faine
Jon Faine
Jon Faine is an Australian radio presenter and host of a morning program on 774 ABC in Melbourne.Faine was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, and emigrated to Sydney with his parents at a young age. Later they moved to Melbourne, where he attended Melbourne High School.In the late 1970s and early 1980s...
on 774 ABC Melbourne
774 ABC Melbourne
774 ABC Melbourne is an ABC Local Radio station in Melbourne, Australia. Originally known by its callsign 3LO, it began transmission on 13 October 1924 – Melbourne's second radio station after 3AR.-History:...
, Gawenda defended his editorial stance and said the allegation from Crikey was a lie.
Personal life
Gawenda has a wife and two children and resides in Melbourne. Gawenda is the uncle of television producer and former senior soccerFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player Harvey Silver.
American Notebook
On 15 April 2004, Gawenda announced that he would return to reporting as The Ages WashingtonWashington, 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....
correspondent.
Gawenda's final article from Washington was published on 28 May 2007 when he announced he will be returning to Australia and would no longer be writing for The Age. This led to the publication in August 2007 of a book, American Notebook, sub-titled A Personal and Political Journey, about American politics and rationalising his support for the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
Rocky and Gawenda
Gawenda's canine companion inspired him to join the blog revolution to escape from the stresses and frustration of journalism. The blog ran on the CrikeyCrikey
Crikey is an independent Australian electronic magazine comprising an open access website and an email newsletter available to subscribers. Well known in Australian political, media and business circles, Crikey was described by former Federal Opposition Leader Mark Latham as the "most popular...
website from February to November 2009. The posts from February to June were collected in a volume titled Rocky & Gawenda http://catalogue.mup.com.au/978-0-522-85697-2.html. The book, published by Melbourne University Press, is composed of short essays, observations and recollections, mostly reflecting on aspects of his own life: family, especially his two children; dogs; blogging; the pleasure he finds in food; friends and funerals.
Awards
| Year | Awards | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Walkley Award | Best Feature - "In Cold Blood" |
| 1982 | Walkley Award | Best Feature - "Ghettos in the Sky" |
| 1988 | Walkley Award | Best Feature - "Echoes of a Darker Age: Australia's Nazi War Crime Trials" |
External links
- The Centre for Advanced Journalism — The University of Melbourne
- Rocky & Gawenda — Gawenda's blog on the Crikey website