After six years as the director of news, analysis, and investigations at the ABC, Gaven Morris, has announced he will leave the ABC when his contract expires.
Morris began working as a reporter aged 20, working for outlets including the Canberra Times and the 10 Network, and then internationally at CNN in London and Al Jazeera – whose launch he was involved in.
He eventually came back to the ABC in 2008, and was appointed director of the news division in October 2015.
His impact on the platform is clear to see. ABC News has now been Australia’s No 1 digital news brand since January 2020 in overall monthly unique audience, and also on smartphones and among women. ABC News was first ranked the top online news brand five years ago with a unique audience in July 2016 of 6.5 million Australians, or 33% of the active online population.
See More: Audience update: ABC News reports record numbers online, TV and radio
“Gaven’s contribution to the ABC has been enormous,” ABC managing director, David Anderson, wrote in an email to staff.
“His strategic vision and boundless drive and energy have been integral to a string of achievements, including leading the 2010 launch of the ABC News channel; spearheading ABC News’s rise to digital excellence; creating the journalistic powerhouses of ABC investigations and the specialist reporting team; fostering News’s culture of diversity and inclusion; and driving the strategy to make News’s content and services more relevant to all Australians.”
Gaven Morris said in an email to staff that he will be staying on in the role until somebody else is found to replace him.
“I’ve provided David [Anderson] with plenty of notice and I’ll continue to serve the ABC for as long as he needs me to,” he said. “I’ll keep you updated on the recruitment process for the next director over the coming weeks.”
“To have had the opportunity to lead ABC News is a personal and career highlight. It’s without doubt a challenging job, but also fulfilling and worthwhile. I’ve given it my all.”