I have always admired and respected Journalists, in particular television journalists. Watching the news was a daily ritual in my family home growing up and still is. The journalists really became “part of the family”, a welcome addition to the home for that half hour or hour-long bulletin. If you could rely on nothing else to go right on a given day, the friendly face of the journalist at the end of the day was uplifting and comforting, even if the news was hard-hitting and confronting.

My favourites are the television journalists who presented the late editions of news bulletins. I used to love staying up late to see the late news on channel 10. In years past I tended to miss the early news editions so the late news was a godsend. And of course, Lateline was (and still is occasionally) a brilliant insight into topics that were interesting and enlightening to hear about.

Sandra Sully and Tim Webster were my favourites, a captivating and lovely pair to deliver the news at night. It is a shame that in an age where we have more stories to tell than ever before, news bulletins are being axed or facing dwindling resources thus compromising quality, insight, analysis and depth. But that’s another issue for another day.

In recent years it was the early birds who truly struck me with their ability to be up early, day-in and day-out and still be upbeat, enthralling, mesmerising and compelling to watch. The stories might be light entertainment but who wants war and destruction at 6am? Nowadays, it’s unavoidable due to the changing times we live in. But they cover all the news with the respect, integrity, objectivity and due diligence it deserves. But at any rate, the morning shows are as refreshing as the Ocean on a breezy summer’s day. It leaves you feeling energised and reinvigorated and ready to face the day with a smile on your face.

Of course, more serious shows such as the ABC News24 morning show are also an informative and useful addition to the day. But their drawback is the unwillingness to devote the depth of coverage particular topics warrant on any given day. But once again, they are a hard-working and trustworthy group who present the news with the integrity and admiration they deserve.

Not everyone is cut out for morning television, or radio for that matter. Australia is fortunate to be blessed with a unique and talented group of individuals on each major network who grace our screens each day in a professional, friendly, authentic and warm way. It makes the day worth getting up for and they deserve credit for their diligence, discipline, dedication and drive.

All these journalists command admiration and respect because they gracious, hard-working, caring, captivating and generous individuals. They got to the top of their game on merit and capability and for that distinction, are worthy role models for all of our society, but in particular, aspiring journalists.