O Pioneers!

Jim Swift

In a medium that typically displays an astonishing indifference to the arts, TV reporter Jim Swift has distinguished himself by taking culture seriously and regularly showcasing it on the air. After a succession of radio jobs around Central Texas in the mid-1970s, Swift landed at KXAN-TV, where his coverage of fires, crimes, and politics was soon outshone by his human-interest features. His treatment of personal stories with sensitivity and style won him the regular segment on the 10pm news now known as "Out on the Porch." In these reports, Swift treats artists with respect and gives them that rare opportunity to show their work to a television audience. For 26 years, Swift's intelligent, incisive, and insightful features have connected thousands of central Texans with the art of Austin and enhanced the public's appreciation of culture. He has received the Barbara Jordan Medallion from the Governor's Committee on People With Disabilities, first-place awards in the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters competition, and repeated wins as "Best TV Reporter" in the Chronicle's Best of Austin polls.