Award-winning ABC journalist Peter Ryan dies at 64 after long battle with cancer
His family confirmed he passed away on Friday night in Sydney, following a 45-year career in journalism.
In recent years, Ryan was known to Australians as a trusted source of business news on ABC Radio and TV, a role he held until his retirement in June.
He was first diagnosed with metastatic thyroid cancer in 2014, which ultimately led to his decision to retire.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Ryan began his journalism career as a copyboy at the Daily Mirror in 1980.
Over the years, he held various roles, including stints at the BBC and Nine Network, before returning to and spending much of his career with the ABC.
During more than 35 years at the ABC, Ryan held a number of senior positions, including Washington bureau chief, head of TV news and current affairs in Victoria, and executive producer of Business Breakfast.
He was the founding editor of Lateline Business, the program that would later become The Business, and eventually served as the ABC's business editor.
From 2016 until his retirement, he was the network's senior business correspondent.
Ryan won a Walkley award in 2017 for his groundbreaking investigative report on the Commonwealth Bank scandal, which revealed serious breaches of anti-money laundering laws and sparked widespread calls for reform in Australia's banking sector.
He was also recognised as the National Press Club Finance Journalist of the Year in 2018 for his coverage of the banking royal commission.
In 2022, Ryan was honoured with the Order of Australia Medal for his service to journalism.
At the time of his retirement, Treasurer Jim Chalmers described him as 'an absolute legend'.
'Every day as you wake up and you think about what's happening in the economy, if you only needed to listen to one voice to be sure that you got its essential elements, it would be Peter's,' he said.
ABC News director Justin Stevens said Ryan left a 'significant legacy'.
'Through his mentorship, friendship, and professionalism, he directly touched the lives of many at the ABC,' he said.
'Through his journalism, he had a profound impact on the lives of Australians and our society. It was a privilege to know him and work alongside him.'
Former ABC News Breakfast presenter Michael Rowland paid tribute on Sunday night, recalling that Ryan was 'full of old stories and good cheer' even when hospitalised.
'If you wanted to know what was going in corporate Australia, Peter was your man. His contacts and record of story-breaking were unrivalled,' Rowland said.
'On top of his courageous journalism, Peter was also a generous mentor and boss to so many over the years, including me. He had a big impact on so many ABC careers.'
On his departure from the ABC, Ryan offered words of advice to colleagues across generations.
'Avoid cynicism — be passionate,' he said.
'A good team can often be a very small team — I've worked in some of the best.
'Be proactive — come to the table with a great story so no-one else comes up with a dud that might waste your time.
'Work closely with top people — shut up and absorb like a sponge.
'Maintain a fastidious contact book — some low-profile contacts could soon move into higher-powered roles or, more importantly, work in backrooms where the big decisions are often made.
'Show up to work early and prove that you're ready to take on the big story of the day.
'Try to have a Plan B in your back pocket just in case your original brilliant idea doesn't go anywhere and the EP comes walking your way.
'Finally: Be kind and caring to people who need it.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
9 minutes ago
- West Australian
Creators trying to make 'wage slaves' care about tax
Very few people stop Wentworth MP Allegra Spender on the streets of Bondi to talk about tax reform and she wants that to change. That's why among the usual cast of economic boffins, politicians and business representatives at the teal independent's tax roundtable in Parliament House on Friday, content creators were packaging up the discussion to cut through to a different audience. While young people feel the impacts of the tax system on housing unaffordability and stagnant real wages, getting them to care about changing it - and ensuring policymakers know that support is there - is another matter. Former Treasury secretary Ken Henry, who wrote the book on tax reform during the Rudd and Gillard governments, said the current system was broken. The burden is increasingly shifting onto the shoulders of young people, who are also contending with an increasingly unaffordable housing market. "Tax policy tragics know that tax reform is necessary, but the thing is that most people in the community do not," he told the roundtable. "I reckon the best thing that we can do as a group is to help make the case, to help in the construction of a compelling narrative, something that motivates action." Ms Spender agrees. "You have to convince people why it's important before you can convince them what the solution is," Ms Spender told AAP. "People don't come up to me in the street to talk about a particular aspect of tax. "But they talk to me about the fact that they're worried about their kids, whether they can get a home. They're worried about productivity, and whether our businesses can get access to capital. "Those are the things that people worry about. They don't necessarily see the link back to tax." Ms Spender has been taking to Instagram to get the message out. Also there to spread the message were Konrad Benjamin, whose Punter's Politics videos rack up millions of views on social media, and Natasha Etschmann, a personal finance podcaster with more than 300,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. They have a direct line to a growing cohort of younger Australians who increasingly feel the system is stacked against them. Getting buy-in from regular punters who felt left out was an important step if things were to change politically, Mr Benjamin said. The solutions raised around the table were largely the same ones tax reform advocates have been calling for for more than a decade - taxing carbon and resources more effectively, reducing reliance on personal income tax, and boosting incentives for investment. "They know the solutions," Mr Benjamin said. "How do you get it through? And how do you communicate it? And that's, I suppose, where we are sitting. "We're trying to shape the political discourse around something like tax, because it's been dominated by the Murdoch channels. "But who's bearing the burden? Our generation, wage slaves, us."
Perth Now
9 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Creators trying to make 'wage slaves' care about tax
Very few people stop Wentworth MP Allegra Spender on the streets of Bondi to talk about tax reform and she wants that to change. That's why among the usual cast of economic boffins, politicians and business representatives at the teal independent's tax roundtable in Parliament House on Friday, content creators were packaging up the discussion to cut through to a different audience. While young people feel the impacts of the tax system on housing unaffordability and stagnant real wages, getting them to care about changing it - and ensuring policymakers know that support is there - is another matter. Former Treasury secretary Ken Henry, who wrote the book on tax reform during the Rudd and Gillard governments, said the current system was broken. The burden is increasingly shifting onto the shoulders of young people, who are also contending with an increasingly unaffordable housing market. "Tax policy tragics know that tax reform is necessary, but the thing is that most people in the community do not," he told the roundtable. "I reckon the best thing that we can do as a group is to help make the case, to help in the construction of a compelling narrative, something that motivates action." Ms Spender agrees. "You have to convince people why it's important before you can convince them what the solution is," Ms Spender told AAP. "People don't come up to me in the street to talk about a particular aspect of tax. "But they talk to me about the fact that they're worried about their kids, whether they can get a home. They're worried about productivity, and whether our businesses can get access to capital. "Those are the things that people worry about. They don't necessarily see the link back to tax." Ms Spender has been taking to Instagram to get the message out. Also there to spread the message were Konrad Benjamin, whose Punter's Politics videos rack up millions of views on social media, and Natasha Etschmann, a personal finance podcaster with more than 300,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. They have a direct line to a growing cohort of younger Australians who increasingly feel the system is stacked against them. Getting buy-in from regular punters who felt left out was an important step if things were to change politically, Mr Benjamin said. The solutions raised around the table were largely the same ones tax reform advocates have been calling for for more than a decade - taxing carbon and resources more effectively, reducing reliance on personal income tax, and boosting incentives for investment. "They know the solutions," Mr Benjamin said. "How do you get it through? And how do you communicate it? And that's, I suppose, where we are sitting. "We're trying to shape the political discourse around something like tax, because it's been dominated by the Murdoch channels. "But who's bearing the burden? Our generation, wage slaves, us."
7NEWS
9 minutes ago
- 7NEWS
This everyday item could get you stopped at airport security
A traveller has learned the hard way that packing tape can be considered a security risk at the airport. Alice Almeida shared her surprise on LinkedIn after being pulled aside at Melbourne Airport for carrying what staff called a 'weapon' which turned out to be a simple roll of packing tape. I was then given a demonstration on how this packing tape can be used to tape hands together — arms in air, or be put over mouths,' she wrote. Asked why she had it, Almeida replied 'to tape two pull-up banner bags together to avoid the extra bag charge, not for any of the things you just showed me.' 'Not for any of the things you just showed me,' she joked. One person commented: 'Yes, the things we do to avoid excess baggage fees could write their own memoir.' Melbourne Airport confirmed to that it prohibits packing tape on flights. The Aviation Transport Security Act 2004 outlines what goods can and cannot be taken on an aircraft, but gives airports discretion 'to create a definitive list or set of rules around what is considered safe to fly', an airport spokesperson said. 'Packing tape can be deemed a prohibited item under the Aviation Transport Security Act 2004 as it can be used to physically restrain someone – in the same way as rope or cable ties,' they said.
