Gavin MacFadyen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gavin Hall Galter January 1, 1940 Greeley, Colorado, U.S. |
| Died | October 22, 2016 (aged 76) London, England |
| Alma mater | Shimer College, London Film School |
| Occupation | Investigative journalist |
| Spouses | Virginia Daum (divorced)Susan Benn (m. 2010) |
| Children | one son, three stepdaughters |
Gavin Hall MacFadyen (né Galter; January 1, 1940 – October 22, 2016) was an American investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker. He was the director of the Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ) at Goldsmiths, University of London; Co-Founder with Eileen Chubb of the UK whistleblower support group, The Whistler; and a Trustee of the Courage Foundation.[1] He was acknowledged as a ″beloved director of WikiLeaks″ shortly after his death in 2016.[2]
MacFadyen facilitated and protected whistleblowing activities and organized events at which whistleblowers and former intelligence personnel spoke publicly. He acted as an advocate for Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning,[3][4] eventually becoming a director of the Centre for Investigative Journalism. Closely linked to Assange, he formed the official Julian Assange Defense Committee, which raises funds to pay the legal expenses of Assange and other WikiLeaks staff. MacFadyen has appeared in a number of documentaries about Wikileaks, including We Steal Secrets and Julian Assange: A Modern Day Hero?
The Gavin MacFadyen Award[5] has been presented annually since 2017, for which nominations are accepted from and voted on by whistleblowers only.