Stan Grant (journalist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stan Grant
FASSA
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Grant in 2008
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| Born | 30 September 1963 Griffith, New South Wales, Australia
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| Years active | 1986–present |
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Notable credit(s)
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Real Life host (1992–1994) CNN anchor (2000–2007, 2009–2013) Reporting Live (2013–2016) Matter of Fact (2018) |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3 with Grant 1 with Holmes |
| Parent(s) | Stan Grant Sr Elizabeth Cameron |
Stan Grant (born 30 September 1963) is a well-known Australian journalist, writer, and TV presenter. He has worked in media since the 1990s. He often writes and speaks about issues important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and his own Aboriginal heritage. He is a proud Wiradjuri man, which is an Aboriginal group from New South Wales.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Stan Grant was born in Griffith, New South Wales, on 30 September 1963. His father, Stan Grant Sr, was an elder of the Wiradjuri people. His mother, Elizabeth Grant, had both Aboriginal (Kamilaroi) and white heritage.
The Wiradjuri people come from the south-west inland area of New South Wales. Stan spent much of his childhood in Victoria, where the Wiradjuri people also have connections. He went to high school in Canberra at Ginninderra High.
Career in Journalism
Stan Grant has over 30 years of experience reporting news on radio and TV. He has worked for major news organisations like the Macquarie Radio Network, Seven, SBS, and CNN International. He was a senior international correspondent for CNN in places like Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and Beijing. Later, he joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
Early TV Roles (1990s–2012)
In 1994, Stan hosted a current affairs show called Real Life on the Seven Network. The show won an award for being the most popular current affairs program.
Later, he co-presented the SBS World News Australia bulletin. He also hosted an Indigenous program called Speaking Out on ABC Local Radio. In 2009, he became CNN's correspondent in the UAE, covering stories from that region.
Returning to Australia (2012–2014)
In 2012, Stan came back to Australia to help launch the new National Indigenous Television (NITV) channel for SBS. In 2013, he hosted NewsNight, a late-night news show on Sky News Australia. The next year, he began hosting Reporting Live with Stan Grant, a nightly news program on Sky News Australia.
Important Speech on Racism (2015)
In 2015, Stan Grant took part in a public discussion about racism in Australia. He spoke powerfully about how colonisation has affected Indigenous Australians over time. He explained that the idea of "the Australian Dream" was built on racism. He shared how his ancestors and others were forced into institutions and made to work without pay. This debate was recognised for helping people understand these important issues.
Working with the ABC (2017–2023)
In 2017, Stan joined the ABC as the editor for Indigenous Affairs. He also filled in as host for the current affairs show 7.30 and hosted The Link.
In 2018, he started hosting Matter of Fact, a national current affairs program on the ABC News TV Channel and ABC News Radio. He also became the chief Asia correspondent for ABC News. After this, he took on a new role as an Indigenous and International Affairs Analyst for the ABC.
In 2019, Stan moved to Doha, Qatar, to work for Al Jazeera English. In 2020, he returned to the ABC as their International Affairs Analyst, focusing on China. He also hosted a series of interviews about identity for the ABC program One Plus One.
In 2021, Stan launched the ABC's China Tonight program, which explores Chinese culture and politics for an Australian audience.
In July 2022, it was announced that Stan would become the permanent host of Q+A, a popular talk show.
Leaving Q+A (2023)
In May 2023, Stan Grant was a commentator for the ABC's coverage of King Charles III's coronation. During the broadcast, he spoke about how the Crown represented the invasion of Australia and the impact on Aboriginal people. He explained that under the Crown, his people were segregated and children were taken from their families.
These comments led to a lot of discussion and criticism in the media and on social media. Stan described the online comments as "a sordid spectacle." He announced on Q+A that he would be leaving the show, at least for a while. He said he was leaving not directly because of the racial abuse, but because he felt the media itself was "the poison in the bloodstream of our society." He also said the ABC had not publicly defended him enough.
Many ABC staff supported Stan, with hundreds walking out of their offices. They carried signs saying, "I stand with Stan." The ABC news director, Justin Stevens, stated that the organisation would not tolerate staff being subjected to racial abuse. Later in 2024, Stan joined The Saturday Paper as a columnist.
Academia and Other Roles
Besides his journalism, Stan Grant has also worked in universities. In 2018, he became a Professor of Global Affairs at Griffith University. In 2020, he was appointed Vice-Chancellor's Chair of Australian-Indigenous Belonging at Charles Sturt University, a position he still holds. In 2023, he was elected a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
Stan is also an ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, which helps Indigenous students.
Books Written by Stan Grant
Stan Grant has written several books, often exploring his identity and Australian history:
- The Tears of Strangers (2004): This book is a memoir about the changes for Indigenous Australians over 40 years, focusing on his Wiradjuri family.
- Talking to My Country (2016): This book was inspired by the abuse faced by Australian Rules football player Adam Goodes. It looks at Australia from an Indigenous perspective.
- The Australian Dream: Blood, History and Becoming (2016)
- Australia Day (2019): This book is a follow-up to Talking to My Country and explores what it means to be Australian.
- On Identity (2019): This book asks why he is often asked to choose between being "black" or "white" and suggests embracing a broader, more global identity.
- With the Falling of the Dusk (2021): This book looks at the world in crisis.
- The Queen is Dead: The Time has Come for a Reckoning (2023)
Film Work
Stan Grant wrote and appeared in the documentary film The Australian Dream, released in 2019. The film explores the role of racism in the public treatment of Australian Rules football player Adam Goodes. It won several awards, including the AACTA Award for best feature documentary.
Involvement in Politics
Stan Grant has been asked to run for politics by both the National Party and the Liberal Party. In 2019, Prime Minister Scott Morrison asked him to join the Liberal Party of Australia. However, Stan turned down the offer. He said he preferred to remain independent and speak his mind freely, without being tied to a political party's views.
Awards and Recognition
Stan Grant has won many awards for his journalism and writing, including:
- Peabody Award (US)
- DuPont Award (US)
- Asian TV Awards (four times)
- Walkley Award (three times), including the 2016 Walkley Book Award
- His film The Australian Dream won the AACTA Award for best feature documentary and the 2019 Walkley Documentary Award.
Personal Life
Stan Grant was married to Karla Grant, and they have three children together. Later, he started a relationship with fellow TV journalist Tracey Holmes. Stan and Tracey moved to Hong Kong and then Beijing, China, for 14 years while he worked for CNN. They have a son together.
