The Walkley Foundation pays tribute to Peter Ryan, a veteran ABC journalist and Walkley Award winner who has died after a battle with thyroid cancer.
Ryan, who was 64, kicked off his career as a teenage copyboy and cadet at the Daily Mirror, back in the days of hot metal type. He was then a reporter with the ABC for 45 years with roles including head of news and current affairs in Victoria, bureau chief in Washington, was the founding editor of Lateline Business (later The Business) and a fixture on ABC radio current affairs shows AM, The World Today and PM. He retired last month.
In 2017 Peter Ryan won the Walkley Award for Coverage of a Major News Event or Issue for his AM, PM and The World Today coverage, Commonwealth Bank Scandal – accused of 53,000 breaches of anti-money laundering and terror financing laws.
The 2017 Walkley Awards judges said: “The extent of the Commonwealth Bank crisis exposed by the ABC’s Peter Ryan was all but unfathomable: 53,700 separate AUSTRAC breaches of anti-money laundering and terrorism finance laws, as a consequence of allegations that the CBA allowed money launderers and crime groups to exploit the bank’s intelligent deposit machines. Ryan not only broke the story but provided extensive coverage and comprehensive analysis across all ABC platforms in the months subsequent, including the first broadcast interview with the bank’s Chief Executive Ian Narev.”
Narev’s 2018 retirement was announced the following week with every aspect of the bank’s business under the microscope. Ryan’s reporting helped punters understand the profound impact of a complex story.
Ryan was also a finalist in the 2024 Audio Short Walkley Award category for his ABC coverage, The World Today and ABC News Daily, ‘Qantas crisis – demise of the Flying Kangaroo.
He was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2022 for his service to journalism.
Before his retirement, Ryan had some parting words of advice from his nearly half a century in journalism.
“One strong message I have is, never let anyone tell you the good old days were really that good – that’s a bit of a myth,” Ryan said.
“I’d like to thank the ABC for taking so many risks with me over the years, giving me my dream of a foreign posting in Washington and then into big editorial roles. But for me in the end it’s all about being a reporter out in the real world telling it as it is. I’m always chuffed when I hear people tell me you’re able to take complex issues and break them down into three good parts. When someone tells me that, that’s more important than a whole lot of awards.”
Peter Ryan was an advisor for the Walkley’s Australia-Korea Media Exchange program, which provided an exchange platform for journalists from Australia and Korea, thanks to an initiative by DFAT and the Australia-Korea Foundation.
Ryan has been a loyal supporter of the Walkley Foundation. In 2014 Ryan graciously accepted the role of liaison officer for the Walkley’s Australia-Korea Media Exchange program and he continued to support this program by welcoming visiting journalists from Korea each year. He was always willing to assist and work his legendary contact book, for example, by helping lock in speakers for the annual ING Business Lunch.
Walkley CEO Shona Martyn said: “All of us at the foundation are saddened by Peter’s loss. His generosity, enthusiasm and willingness to support journalists and journalism made an immense contribution. It was a privilege to work with him. He was a great journalist and a lovely man. We send all our love to his wife Mary and daughter Charlotte.”
Tributes are pouring in across all news organisations and on social media from his multitude of friends and colleagues.
Former ABC Breakfast host Michael Rowland wrote on Facebook: “If you wanted to know what was going in corporate Australia, Peter was your man. His contacts and record of story-breaking were unrivalled. He had the many awards to prove it. On top of his courageous journalism, Peter was also a generous mentor and boss to so many over the years, including me.”
Rowland commented further: “He was scrupulously fair and was committed to accuracy and facts. There was never any agenda in his reporting. That is why he was held in such high regard by his colleagues and the ABC audience. I learnt so much from him.”
ABC News senior director Justin Stevens wrote, “Through his mentorship, friendship, and professionalism, he directly touched the lives of many at the ABC. 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.”
Peter Ryan was a proud supporter of the Walkley Foundation. Ryan travelled to South Korea as part of the Foundation’s Australia-Korea Media Exchange Program.
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on X, “I pay tribute to the life and legacy of a wonderful Australian, Peter Ryan. This is a devastating loss for Australian journalism and economics. So many of the decisions taken around boardroom tables and cabinet tables were shaped and influenced by Peter’s authoritative voice first thing each morning. He had an unrivalled talent for drawing out the vital elements of each day’s economic news, a remarkable ability to separate the consequential from the trivial. On busy days when you didn’t have time to pore over pages and pages of economic analysis, you knew that a few minutes of Peter would be decent start. We will miss him, we mourn him, and our hearts go out to his loved ones and many admirers.”