The story-breaker — The remarkable rise of Jonathan Swan

Journo

He is one of Washington’s most recognisable and influential journalists, who became even more well-known thanks to his facial expressions in that interview with US President Donald Trump in 2020.

But it wasn’t an easy road for political reporter Jonathan Swan.

The Aussie print journalist’s first ever TV interview was also with President Trump — only a couple of years before his Emmy-award winning one. Only that first interview was definitely NOT a critical success!

So how does this Axios journalist view the peaks and troughs of his career?

Swan attributes his success to constantly honing his reporting craft, and working harder than anyone else in one of the toughest rounds in journalism.

But he didn’t just work hard, he worked smarter — eschewing the daily press briefings to work his contacts, which led to him becoming one of the most reliable story-breakers of the Trump presidency.

Host Nick Bryant gets the inside track on the journalism of Jonathan Swan, and what’s behind his rise in Washington.

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Journo is a production of Deadset Studios. This episode was made with support from the Judith Neilson Institute.

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