Norman Swan

Norman Swan
AM FAHMS
Swan in 2013
Born
Norman Swirsky

1953 (age 70–71)
Glasgow, Scotland
NationalityAustralian
Alma materUniversity of Aberdeen
Occupation(s)Physician, journalist, broadcaster
Known forThe Health Report on ABC Radio National
Children3, including Jonathan Swan
Awards
Australian Skeptics Award 2020

Norman Swan (born Norman Swirsky in 1953) is a Scottish-born Australian physician, journalist and broadcaster.

Life and career

Swan was born in Glasgow, Scotland as Norman Swirsky.[1][2][3] He wanted to be an actor, but instead went to medical school at the University of Aberdeen graduating in 1976.[4] He later tried unsuccessfully to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[1] He then continued his postgraduate studies by specialising in paediatrics.[5][4]

Swan moved to Australia to continue his training but transitioned from medicine when he became a producer and broadcaster with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1982.[4] He was the general manager of ABC Radio National (RN) for three years from 1990 and in that time increased the audience by 30%. He overhauled the schedule, created the RN current affairs breakfast program and recruited Phillip Adams, Geraldine Doogue and Wendy Harmer as program presenters.[2] Swan co-hosted the RN program Life Matters between 1996 and 2001,[5] and has produced and presented ABC radio program The Health Report from its inception in 1985.[2][6] From March 2020 until November 2023 Swan co-hosted Coronacast, a podcast about pandemics and the coronavirus. This has been replaced with a podcast titled What's That Rash.[7]

On ABC TV, Swan has presented both Catalyst and Quantum, is an occasional reporter on Four Corners, including an exposé of egregious doctors' fees. He is currently a regular reporter and commentator on 7.30. On commercial television, he has appeared on the Australian version of The Biggest Loser as the resident health expert.

Swan was awarded the Gold Walkley in 1988 for revealing scientific fraud conducted by gynaecologist William McBride. Swan's investigation sent "shock waves throughout the medical world" and led to McBride's deregistration as a medical practitioner.[4] Swan has won four Walkley Awards, (the latest in 2020 for Coronacast), the 2020 Australian Skeptics Award, a Media Peace Award from the United Nations Association of Australia and the highest honour in Australian science journalism, the Michael Daley Award.[4] Swan was also awarded the Medal of The Australian Academy Science in 2004.[8] He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences in 2022.[9]

Two books of his became bestsellers, So You Think You Know What's Good For You (2021 Hachette Australia) and So You Want To Live Younger Longer (2022 Hachette). The latest is So You Want to Know What's Good For your Kids, also published by Hachette in July 2024.

Personal life

Swan married Kate Hamann, an ABC radio producer, in June 2024. It is his third marriage after being divorced twice.[10]

Swan's son Jonathan is a political correspondent, firstly for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, then The Hill, Axios, and currently the New York Times.[11][12] Swan's daughter Anna was seriously injured in an electric bike accident on a 2016 trip to Italy. Swan experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), blaming himself for not hiring helmets for the bikes,[1] and also as a result of being injured in a bus explosion at age 14.[13]

Swan was appointed as a Member the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2023 Australia Day Honours for "significant service to the broadcast media as a science and health commentator".[14]

Bibliography

  • Swan, Dr Norman (2021). So you think you know what's good for you?. Sydney, N.S.W.: Hachette Australia. ISBN 978-0-7336-4676-8. OCLC 1231994364.
  • Swan, Dr Norman (2022). So You Want to Live Younger Longer. Hachette Australia. ISBN 9780733648342. OCLC 1316700056.
  • Swan, Dr Norman (2024). So You Want to Know What's Good for Your Kids?. Hachette Australia. ISBN 9780733650727. OCLC 1432656745.

References

  1. ^ a b c Johnson, Natasha (5 November 2020). "Dr Norman Swan opens up on coping with trauma after his daughter's accident, covering COVID and the question that 'stopped his world'". ABC News. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Schmidt, Lucinda (25 August 2010). "Profile: Norman Swan". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  3. ^ Datelines: Norman Swan, Sydney Morning Herald, 7 November 1998, Spectrum, p. 2s[better source needed]
  4. ^ a b c d e "Dr Norman Swan". ABC Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Honorary awards – Dr Norman Swan". University of Sydney. 13 June 2006. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  6. ^ Jamieson, Amber (29 March 2012). "The quality journalism project: Dr Norman Swan's media check-up". Crikey. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  7. ^ Rafael Epstein, presenter (8 November 2023). Coronacast podcast wraps after more than 500 episodes (Radio program). ABC Radio Melbourne. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Past medallists". www.science.org.au. Australian Academy of Science. 2004. 2004 Academy Medal. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  9. ^ Shanahan, Rachel (14 October 2022). "Dr Norman Swan". Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  10. ^ "'King of Covid' Norman Swan weds for a third time". News.com.au. 13 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Aussie named as a US political breakout star". Crikey. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  12. ^ "Fairfax journalist Jonathan Swan awarded prestigious Wallace Brown Young Achiever Award". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  13. ^ Morgan, Cassandra (25 June 2021). "Norman Swan on wellness, sickness and other lies". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Australia Day 2023 Honours: Full list". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
External videos
video icon Swan on One Plus One, ABC Television