Walkley Award-winning ABC journalist Peter Ryan dies, leaving 'significant legacy'

Former ABC journalist and Walkley Award-winner Peter Ryan OAM has died aged 64 in Sydney, his family has confirmed.

Ryan retired from the ABC in June after 45 years in the industry, as he moved into palliative care.

He had metastatic thyroid cancer, first diagnosed in 2014, and wanted to focus on his wife Mary Cotter, daughter Charlotte, and other family and friends.

Ryan's many career highlights included being the ABC's Washington bureau chief, head of TV news and current affairs in Victoria, executive producer of Business Breakfast, founding editor of Lateline Business, which later became The Business, and the ABC's business editor.

He was a senior business correspondent from 2016 until he retired.

ABC News director Justin Stevens said Peter 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 said Peter "represented the very best of the ABC".

"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."

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said Ryan's death is a "devastating loss for Australian journalism and economics".

"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," Mr Chalmers said.

"We will miss him, we mourn him, and our hearts go out to his loved ones and many admirers."

From copyboy to editor

In 2017, Ryan won a Walkley award for his exposé on the Commonwealth Bank scandal.

His coverage contributed to the calling of the banking royal commission, and in 2018, he was the National Press Club finance journalist of the year for his coverage of the commission.

Ryan began his career as a copyboy and cadet on Sydney's Daily Mirror before he joined the ABC and took on foreign correspondent, senior manager, and executive producer roles.

In 2022, he was recognised with the Order of Australia medal for his significant service to journalism.

When Ryan retired, Mr Chalmers said: "Peter Ryan is 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."

Peter's note to journalists

When he left the ABC, Ryan wrote a note for "younger and older colleagues alike".

He ended with "a few words of editorial advice":

"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.