Steve Dunleavy facts for kids

Stephen Francis Patrick Aloysius Dunleavy (born January 21, 1938 – died June 24, 2019) was a well-known Australian journalist. He spent most of his career working in the United States. He was famous for his columns in the New York Post newspaper from 1976 to 2008. He also worked as a main reporter for the TV show A Current Affair during the 1980s and 1990s.

Early Life and Start in Journalism

Steve Dunleavy was born in Bondi Beach, a famous place in Sydney, Australia. He started his career in journalism very young, in 1953. His first job was as a copy boy for a Sydney newspaper called The Sun. A copy boy helps deliver messages and copies of stories around the office. His father also worked there as a photographer.

Later, he moved to another Sydney newspaper, The Daily Mirror. After that, he traveled and worked in many different countries. He wrote for The South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. He also worked as a freelance writer in places like Japan, India, Greece, Italy, Spain, and England.

He then worked for United Press International in London. On New Year's Eve in 1966, he arrived in New York City. He only had $10 with him at the time.

Career in the United States

When Steve Dunleavy came to New York, he first worked for Australian newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch. In 1977, he joined the New York Post as a news reporter. This was shortly after Rupert Murdoch bought the newspaper.

Steve Dunleavy was known for making stories very exciting and easy to read. He became the metropolitan editor in 1980. He held this important job until 1986.

In 1986, he moved to the new Fox TV network. He helped create a new style of TV show called "tabloid television." These shows often focused on dramatic or sensational news stories. He became a regular reporter for the show A Current Affair. This show was very popular and ran from 1986 to 1995. After the show ended, Dunleavy went back to the New York Post as a columnist.

Books Written by Steve Dunleavy

In 1977, Steve Dunleavy wrote a book called Elvis: What Happened?. He wrote it with three of Elvis Presley's former bodyguards. The book looked at Elvis Presley's life behind the scenes.

The book was published on August 1, 1977. Just two weeks later, Elvis Presley passed away on August 16. After Elvis's death, the book became very popular. It sold more than 1 million copies.

Retirement and Legacy

Steve Dunleavy had a long and successful career that lasted 55 years. He retired on October 1, 2008. A big party was held to celebrate his career. About 400 friends and colleagues attended the event.

Many important people spoke at his retirement celebration. This included News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch. The Post editor-in-chief Col Allan also honored him. Other guests included NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly and former A Current Affair host Maury Povich.

Steve Dunleavy passed away at his home in Long Island, New York on June 24, 2019. He was 81 years old. He was survived by his second wife, Gloria, and their two sons, Peter and Sean.

Rupert Murdoch, who worked with Dunleavy for many years, spoke highly of him. He said that Steve Dunleavy "was one of the greatest reporters of all time." He also said that Dunleavy's passing was "the end of a great era."

In Popular Culture

Steve Dunleavy's unique personality inspired a character in a movie. Actor Robert Downey Jr. played a character named Wayne Gale in the film Natural Born Killers. This character was based on Steve Dunleavy.