[1][2] During his studies he started his journalistic career, first as a writer, later as vice chief editor of the socialist daily newspaper Neue Zeit.
He participated in the protests for an Austrian media reform in 1964, in the early 1970s against the war in Vietnam, and in 1978 against the planned nuclear power plant in Zwentendorf.
[1] Günther Nenning was a prolific author, who also directed TV movies and a documentary for the ORF (Austrian television).
[3] In addition to his many authored books, Nenning spent the final year of his life editing a 21-volume anthology of Austrian literature after 1945, first called "Austrokoffer" (Austro-suitcase; it was designed to fit in a large, brightly decorated carrying case) and then received the less controversial title of "Landvermessung" (Land-measuring or Land-surveying).
It became a cause celebre when critics felt that Nenning was unqualified to edit such a collection and some major authors like Elfriede Jelinek refused to contribute work due to government funding of the project.
139 authors eventually found representation in the well-designed collection, which had to be issued in a second limited edition due to public demand.