Monica Attard

Monica Ann Attard (born 12 December 1958) is an Australian journalist and academic.

Early life Attard was born to Maltese parents in Sydney, where she was educated at Bethlehem College, Ashfield and Santa Sabina College. She attended the University of Sydney, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts. She also holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales,

Attard returned to The World Today from 1997 to 1999 and to PM from 1994 to 1997. In the same year, she received the 2002 Walkley Award for Broadcast Interviewing, and graduated with a law degree from the University of New South Wales.

On 1 December 2005, Attard received the 2005 Walkley Award for Broadcast Interviewing. This was given for a series of interviews entitled On The Brink, which aimed to examine the lives of several prominent people who had been experiencing some kind of upheaval in their lives. She interviewed NSW magistrate Pat O'Shane, former HIH Insurance director Rodney Adler and Douglas Wood, a former hostage in Iraq. Her interview with Rodney Adler was a scoop and she received particular praise from the Walkley judges.

On 6 December 2005, Attard was announced as the new host of the ABC TV program Media Watch for 2006. She hosted Media Watch for two years, until announcing her retirement at the end of the 2007 series, citing the "extremely taxing" nature of making the program as well as radio presenting commitments.

Attard also worked as a lawyer for Coudert Bros in Moscow from 2003 to 2004.

In June 2016 Attard was appointed head of journalism at Macleay College and took up the position in September that year. Her appointment as professor and Head of Journalism at the University of Technology Sydney faculty of Arts and Social Sciences was announced in February 2018. She will replace Peter Fray in July 2018.

In 2019, Attard was a judge for the 2019 Voyager Media Awards in New Zealand.

Personal life While working in Moscow, Attard met Russian-born Gregory ("Grisha") Klumov, whom she married in 1993. Klumov was later appointed Australia's Senior Trade Representative to Moscow in 2003. They have one son, Sasha.

Awards and honours Gold Walkley Award for Excellence in Journalism 1991 Walkley Awards both for Best International Report (all Media) and Best Coverage of a Current Story (Radio) 1991 Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1992 for services to the community as a radio correspondent while working in Russia. Walkley Award for Bcast Interviewing for 'Kernot, Beazley and The Bishop' 2002 Walkley Award for Bcast Interviewing for 'on the Brink' 2005