Career
He was a lead reporter on the United States tabloid television program A Current Affair in the 1980s and 1990s. Dunleavy began his career in Australia in 1953 as a copy boy for The (Sydney) Daily Mirror, an evening newspaper then owned by Ezra Norton. Arriving in New York on New Year"s Eve, 1966 with 10 dollars in his pocket, he worked as a correspondent for London newspapers.
He joined the New York Post as a news reporter after Rupert Murdoch purchased the newspaper in 1977.
Like Gordon Elliott, another Australian television personality, he helped create the United States tabloid television market in the 1980s. Both were reporters for A Current Affair.
Style
Dunleavy"s irreverent shock-jock style was the model for actor Robert Downey, Junior."s performance as Wayne Gale in Oliver Stone"s film Natural Born Killers. Downey spent time with Dunleavy as part of preparing for the role.
"lieutenant"s exceptional. I"ve never seen anything like it my whole life."
DuMond controversy
Dunleavy controversially wrote a series of articles in defence of Wayne DuMond, a Vietnam veteran who was convicted of rape in Arkansas in 1984, questioning the justice of DuMond"s sentence and conviction.
DuMond"s sentence was eventually reduced to the point where he was paroled. Within a year of his release, he went on to rape and murder two women in Missouri. This Willie Horton-like incident resurfaced as a political issue during the 2008 presidential election, since it was Republican candidate Mike Huckabee who secured DuMond"s parole while governor of Arkansas.
Beltway Sniper controversy
In his column of October 17, 2002 regarding the Beltway sniper attacks, Dunleavy wrote, “If when the shooter is caught, if he is not a foreigner, I will bare my derriere in Macy’s window.” The shooter, John Lee Malvo was born in Jamaica and entered the United States illegally with his mother.
Retirement
After a 55-year career, Dunleavy retired with a celebration on 1 October 2008 that was attended by 400 colleagues and friends.
