I was privileged to attend the CBI Yorkshire and the Humber annual dinner recently and hear the Rt Hon Peter Riddell as guest speaker.

Forty years a journalist, nineteen as chief political commentator at The Times, he is now Senior Fellow of the Institute for Government, a charity which aims to improve the effectiveness of government. He is also working on his latest book: “In praise of politicians”. Well good luck with that in the current climate!

I wonder if he’s ever thought of doing the same for his own, oft-maligned profession. “In praise of journalists” hardly has best-seller written all over it, but just think about a world without them.

I can live without the latest footballer/slapper conquest or “celebrity” couple split, but when  journalists are really doing their job, corporate corruption is unearthed, political scandals revealed, discoveries explained, pomposity deflated and a clear, impartial window is opened on an amazing and troubled world.

And sometimes the use of words which so precisely, succinctly and seemingly effortlessly capture a long-held belief or newly-developing opinion, it takes your breath away. You want to memorise it, so you can use the words to deliver that knockout blow next time you’re in a debate or argument about the subject. It says exactly what you mean – perfectly.

And today they’re bringing us the drama, relief and joy of the Chilean miners’ rescue, in such detail you could almost write the film script.

We all have our favourite journalists. Mine is Libby Purves OBE, who is also a successful author so double reason to hate her guts, but there are many more to celebrate whether in print or online, broadcast or blog. It’s a profession which takes its fair share of criticism, so let’s not forget to enjoy and praise when they get it right.