It was a happy old year for me, especially in the lead-up to Christmas when I spent some time with a 90-year-old aunt.

The Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism are presented annually in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in the craft.

In August, federal education minister Simon Birmingham vowed to take action when confronted with the results of this year’s NAPLAN literacy tests showing a decline in writing skills among school students.

“Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won’t be around much longer!”

The Commonwealth Bank Board announced on August 8 it would strip the short-term bonuses to be paid to senior executives, and cut fees paid to directors by a fifth, as it battled the fallout from allegations it had breached money-laundering and terrorist-financing laws more than 50,000 times.

US President Donald Trump’s “Poland speech” earlier this month was statesmanlike, lauding the resilience of that nation, and reinforcing the importance of upholding the legacy of Western civilisation.

Language is a core element of an organisation’s culture. It’s important to recognise this and for your brand to adopt a suitable tone of voice.

This column was written on the night of the federal budget, so matters pertaining to the economy were to the fore.

Punctuation has certainly made its mark over the centuries, even before Venetian printer Aldus Manutius formalised all those little marks in the late-15th century.