Michael Gawenda

Michael Gawenda, AM, is an Australian 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."

Gawenda was born in a refugee camp in Austria just after the end of World War II. His family moved to Melbourne, Australia, in 1949. Gawenda attended Caulfield North state school. He studied economics and politics at a university.

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 Leunig 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 Age's 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.

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