Norman Swan
Norman Swan is a Scottish Australian physician, journalist and broadcaster.Biography
Swan was born in Scotland to a Jewish family, and studied medicine at the University of Aberdeen graduating in 1976. He then continued his postgraduate studies by specialising in Paediatrics.
Swan moved to Australia, where he started work with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1982. He was the general manager of ABC Radio National 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. Swan co-hosted the Radio National program Life Matters between 1996 and 2001, and has produced and presented ABC radio program The Health Report from its inception in 1985.
On ABC TV, Swan has presented both Catalyst and Quantum, and has hosted and been executive producer of Tonic. He is also an occasional reporter on Four Corners, his most recent being an exposé of egregious doctors' fees. 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 Dr William McBride. Swan's investigation sent "shock waves throughout the medical world" and led to McBride's de-registration as a medical practitioner. Swan has won three Walkley Awards, a Media Peace Award from the United Nations Association of Australia, and the highest honour in Australian science journalism, the Michael Daley Award.
On 30 March, 2020, Swan was tested for COVID-19. He tested negative, having a cold virus.Personal life
Swan's son, Jonathan, is a political correspondent, firstly for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, then The Hill and now Axios.
