Peter Thompson (broadcaster)
Peter Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952 Sydney, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, academic |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Known for | Host of ABC's Talking Heads |
Peter Thompson (born 1952) is a distinguished Australian journalist and academic in the field of broadcasting. He holds a Fellowship at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government and serves as an adjunct professor at Macquarie University. Additionally, he leads the Centre for Leadership, a consultancy firm dedicated to enhancing communication skills.
Thompson was the host of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Talking Heads, a weekly biographical series profiling notable Australians. The show aired on ABC1 from 2005 through 2010, during which 238 episodes were produced.
Life and career
Originally from Sydney, Thompson attended St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill and St Pius X College in Chatswood. He completed a Bachelor of Arts at the Australian National University in 1977, followed by an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management in 1984, and later obtained a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School in 1987.
His career began in 1970 as a sports announcer at 2LF in Young. Subsequently, he worked with various commercial broadcasters in Tasmania, including 7EX, 7LA, and TNT9. In 1978, he became a presenter on ABC TV’s current affairs program This Day Tonight.
Between 1979 and 1982, Thompson acted as project officer for the Australian Conservation Foundation, spearheading campaigns to safeguard Tasmania’s Franklin and Gordon Rivers against hydro-electric projects. He authored two books documenting this environmental campaign. His conservation efforts earned him the University of New South Wales Alumni Award in 1985.
Thompson hosted ABC radio’s Drivetime in 1987 and subsequently anchored AM from 1988 until 1993. He was presenter for Radio National Breakfast during two periods: from 1994 to 1999 and again between 2003 and 2004. From 2002 to 2004, he conducted a series titled "Wisdom Interviews" for Radio National.
In 2007, he was appointed as a fellow at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government, where he instructs executive programs on public policy with an emphasis on communication strategies. His areas of specialization encompass political and societal transformation, risk communication, and influencing behavioural change. Since 2006, he has held an adjunct professorship within Macquarie University's Department of International Communication.
The Centre for Leadership delivers workshops tailored to public sector entities, private companies, and not-for-profit organisations. These sessions focus on ethical communication practices inspired by Aristotle’s concepts of ethos, pathos, and logos.
Publications
- Power in Tasmania, Australian Conservation Foundation, 1982
- Bob Brown of the Franklin River, Allen and Unwin, 1985
- The Secrets of the Great Communicators, ABC, 1992
- Persuading Aristotle, Allen and Unwin, 2001
- Wisdom: The Hard Won Gift, Interviews, ABC, 2003
- Talking Heads, Interviews, ABC Books, 2008
- More Talking Heads, Interviews, ABC Books, 2009