Julie Szego

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Julie Szego is an Australian author and journalist. [1]

Contents

Career

Szego started working as a lawyer before switching to writing. [2] She wrote for The Age on and off for more than two decades as a social affairs reporter, senior writer, leader writer and weekly columnist, until her dismissal in 2023. [3] Szego wrote a monthly column for The Australian Jewish News for seven years and edited her father's 2001 memoir, Two Prayers to One God. [4] She also wrote for The Guardian . [5]

She has taught journalism and creative non-fiction at RMIT, Monash, and other Melbourne-area universities. [6]

Szego is the author of the non-fiction book The Tainted Trial of Farah Jama, which was shortlisted for the Victorian [7] and NSW Premiers’ [8] Literary Awards for 2015.

Views on gender

In March 2023, Szego attended an anti-trans rally, which was organised by British anti-transgender rights activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, on the steps of the Victorian parliament house. [9] [10] Szego has stated that she attended the rally as a journalist. [11]

In June 2023, Szego was sacked from her position at The Age after making public comments saying that a "committee of woke journalists" at the newspaper had silenced her by refusing to publish her article on youth gender transition. [10] [12] The chief editor of The Age, Patrick Elligett, stated that Szego was not sacked for the content of the article, but for her repeated public criticisms of the newspaper and its staff. [13] The controversy was covered by the ABC's Media Watch program in a segment that generated controversy of its own, as the Media Watch segment did not acknowledge that Szego's article utilised information from known anti-trans misinformation groups and promoted fringe conspiracy theories. [10] [13] Szego's article and the Media Watch segment were condemned by human rights groups including Amnesty International. [13]

Gaza war

In November 2023, Szego resigned from the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) because of that union's endorsement of an open letter to Australian media outlets, [14] which condemned the Australian Government for "Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza". Szego called the letter "an Orwellian exercise in calling for 'truth' while peddling gross distortions thereof". [15] In April 2024, Szego published an article for the Jewish Independent stating her support for continuing the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. [16]

Personal

Szego is the partner of Tony Lupton. They have two daughters.[ citation needed ]

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References

  1. ↑ "Julie Szego". The Age . Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  2. ↑ "Julie Szego". Wild Dingo Press. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  3. ↑ "The Age sacks columnist Julie Szego amid gender furore". The Australian . Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "George Szego". Monash University . Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "Julie Szego". The Guardian . Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "Julie Szego". Melbourne Jewish Book Week. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "Diverse 2015 Victorian Premiers Literary Award Shortlist features itinerant novelist Ceridwan Dovey". The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "NSW Premier's Literary Awards 2015 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 24 April 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  9. ↑ Thomas, Shibu (12 June 2023). "The Age Sacks Columnist Julie Szego Over Trans Article Controversy". Star Observer. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 Magaletti, Douglas (29 June 2023). "Trans Justice Project Demands Apology from Media Watch". Star Observer . Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  11. ↑ Woodall, Nate (13 June 2023). "Columnist fired following anti-trans article rant". QNews . Archived from the original on 16 June 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  12. ↑ "The Age sacks star columnist Julie Szego after 'disparaging comments' over trans article furore". News.com.au . 12 June 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 Buckley, John (30 June 2023). "ABC stands by Media Watch segment on Julie Szego despite backlash over accuracy". Crikey . Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  14. ↑ "Letter from journalists to Australian media outlets" . Retrieved 27 November 2023– via Jotform.
  15. ↑ Julie Szego (27 November 2023). "Journalism lost in push for 'balance' over truth" . The Australian . Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  16. ↑ Szego, Julie. "The cost of ending the Israel-Hamas war is too high - The Jewish Independent". The Jewish Independent. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
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