702 ABC Sydney has announced that Alan Rusbridger will present the annual Andrew Olle Media Lecture on Friday 19 November. Mr Rusbridger has been editor of London’s The Guardian newspaper since 1995.
Cambridge-educated, he began his journalistic career on The Cambridge Evening News and first joined The Guardian in 1979 as a reporter, subsequently working as a columnist and feature writer.
In 1986 he became a critic for The Observer, moving to America the following year to be Washington Correspondent of The London Daily News. On returning to The Guardian he launched Guardian Weekend magazine and G2 – Britain’s first compact sections in the quality market.
His editorship of The Guardian has been notable for pioneering the development of the paper’s digital edition, twice voted the best newspaper website in the world, as well as for launching the paper in the popular European “Berliner” format in 2005. He is also noted for fighting, and winning, a number of high-profile legal cases involving free speech issues and corruption in government.
In his years as editor he has won Newspaper of the Year several times, as well as several awards as Editor of the Year. He is a visiting fellow of Nuffield College Oxford and a Visiting Professor at Queen Mary College, London. He is also Chair of the National Youth Orchestra. In his spare time he writes children’s books and plays chamber music and golf.
The Andrew Olle Media Lecture is held in honour of one of the ABC’s iconic broadcasters, Andrew Olle. After Andrew died of a brain tumour in 1995 his widow, Annette, set up a Trust to encourage brain cancer research. In recent years the Trust funds have been used to support Dr Kerrie McDonald who is now Head of the Neuro Oncology (brain cancer) Group at the Lowy Cancer Research Centre (part of the University of NSW).
The Andrew Olle Media Lecture focuses on the role and future of the media. The Lecture has continued to grow in stature since its inception in 1996.
Alan Rusbridger follows a long line of distinguished speakers, including Julian Morrow, Ray Martin, John Hartigan, Senator Helen Coonan, John Doyle, Chris Anderson, Harold Mitchell AO, Lachlan Murdoch, Kerry Stokes AO, Eric Beecher, Steve Vizard, John Alexander, Jana Wendt and David Williamson.
It will be delivered at a black tie dinner at The Shangri La Hotel, Cumberland St, The Rocks, Sydney on Friday 19 November. The evening will be hosted by 702 ABC Sydney Drive presenter Richard Glover.
Tickets are on sale now for $170 (GST incl) or $1700 (GST incl) for a table of 10. You can phone 0421 655 687 or email [email protected] for bookings.
The event will be audio-streamed live on abc.net.au/sydney and on ABC digital radio Friday 19 November at 9pm and broadcast in Sydney on 702 ABC Sydney on Saturday 20 November at 11.00am. The event will also be televised on the ABC in November.