This is a tale of two doctors. Compare the pair; which one gets the better deal and deserves the media plaudits?
Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy faced the professional challenge of his life.
He was charged with advising the government — via a national cabinet of federal, state and territory leaders — on dealing with the most alarming pandemic Australia has faced since the Spanish influenza.
Murphy would work every day, assemble data from home and overseas, consult colleagues, ponder unprecedented public health measures and advocate them to the cabinet.
It is about getting as close as possible to the impossible balance of sufficiently slowing the disease while maintaining a functioning society. All this while the threat, responses and, possibly, the virus itself evolve.
The responsibilities would weigh on his mind, along with unavoidable performance indicators — the number of people infected, and the number who die, will be used to judge his effectiveness.
He might or might not have time to harbour concerns about his loved ones but if he checked media, he would find commentators declaring he had made incorrect calls.
These commentators used their social and mainstream media platforms to promote actions conflicting with Murphy’s advice, compromising his work and confusing the public. And then they attack the government for mixed messaging.
Or there’s one of those commentators, Norman Swan, a medical doctor who decided to concentrate on a media career and has hosted the ABC’s Health Report for 30 years. He built a strong reputation and has ventilated myriad medical issues of interest to him and his listeners.
When the COVID-19 pandemic arose, Swan would have been fascinated by a fast-breaking story in his realm.
He increased his output, providing additional stories, podcasts and video analysis for the ABC, including much useful public advice.
Swan is also a principal in a company, Tonic Health Media, which trades, in part, on his profile at the public broadcaster.
So this pandemic will not only boost Swan’s professional profile but could translate into business opportunities for Tonic.
Swan watches what other countries do and what Murphy and the Australian government do, and then provides ABC videos not only canvassing alternative responses but strongly advocating different policies.
More than a week ago, Swan recommended a “severe shutdown” including school closures.
Swan’s performance indicators — online views and clicks — would be going well.
No matter how many people become infected or die, he won’t carry any burden of responsibility and, even better, he will always be able to say he advocated tougher measures.
Many journalists and activists endorsed Swan’s calls, and a social media meme sprang up under the “close schools now” hashtag.
When the ABC’s Q&A discussed the pandemic, panellist Sam Mostyn used Swan as a weapon to attack the government’s response.
“In the absence of there being a single source of truth,” says Mostyn, “Norman Swan has become that voice for many people — and so when I talk to people, they say, ‘Norman said to do this,’ or, ‘Dr Swan said to do this’ — and he’s become a de facto trusted source of news, which is unfortunate in the context of a government that does want to do the right thing.”
Compare the pair. Whoever said the media was all power and no responsibility?
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