Gavin MacFadyen

Gavin MacFadyen
Alma mater	University of Chicago
Occupation	Investigative journalist
Spouse	Susan Benn

Gavin MacFadyen is an American investigative journalist and filmmaker. He is the Director of the Centre for Investigative Journalism at Goldsmiths, University of London, an Advisor to The Whistler, and a Trustee of the Courage Foundation.

In recent years, his work has focused on facilitating and protecting whistleblowing activities. He is closely linked to Julian Assange and formed the unofficial Julian Assange Defence Committee, which raises funds to pay the legal expenses of Assange and other Wikileaks staff. He has appeared in a number of documentaries about Wikileaks, including We Steal Secrets and Julian Assange: A Modern Day Hero?.

Career

Filmmaking

MacFadyen has produced and directed more than 50 documentaries since the 1970s, investigating a diverse range of topics that includes industrial accidents, neo-Nazi violence in the UK, Chinese criminal societies, the history of the CIA, Watergate, election fraud in Guyana, the Iraq arms trade, child labour, nuclear proliferation, and Frank Sinatra's connection to organised crime. His programmes have been featured on Channel 4, the BBC, Panorama, Granada Television, ABC, and PBS Frontline.

Centre for Investigative Journalism

MacFadyen and Michael Gillard co-founded CIJ as a non-profit in April 2003 with the intention of advancing training in the field of investigative journalism. MacFadyen also directed the organisation's International Journalism Summer Schools in 2003, 2004, and 2006.

He is a visiting Professor at Goldsmiths, and acted as a Visiting Professor at City University from 2003 to 2014 when it acted as CIJ's base.

Grants and other professional interests

MacFadyen co-designed the South African Power Reporting Workshops from 2005 to 2007 at Wits University in Johannesburg, and directed the New York conference on Financial and Business Investigative Journalism in 2005 at Columbia University. He has also acted as a mentor at the Fact/Fiction Workshops run by Performing Arts Labs.

He received an EU Media programme grant in 1998 for work on a Social History website project, and was a Senior Research Fellow at Caledonian University in 2000 and at Glasgow University from 2002 to 2003.

Personal Life

MacFadyen lives in Pimlico with his wife, Susan Benn.