Network 10 has congratulated its 10 News First Midday and Studio 10 host Narelda Jacobs (lead image), who has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (General Division) for her services to the media and to the community.
Recognised in the King’s Birthday 2023 Honours list, Jacobs has been a journalist at Network 10 for over 20 years. A proud Whadjuk Noongar woman, Narelda was the presenter of 10 News First in Perth for over a decade and joined the Studio 10 team in 2020. In 2023, she hit the ground running as the host of the new national news bulletin, 10 News First Midday. Jacobs continues to be viewed as one of the country’s most respected presenters.
A patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, WA, Jacobs is also an Ambassador for Count Me In for the Disability Services Commission. In 2011, she was one of 13 Western Australian women who trekked Kokoda to raise money for Breast Cancer Care WA.
On being awarded the honour, Jacobs said: “”It’s with deep thought and humility I accept this OAM in recognition of 23 years of service to the community through journalism.
“My career at Network 10 has opened many doors to sharing opinions and news on Studio 10, 10 News First, NITV and in the community. While I’d prefer to receive such an honour from a different head of state, the Commonwealth is the system within which we operate. Before choosing to be named on the King’s Birthday Honour’s List, I considered all the First Nations people who’ve courageously taken up spaces created by the colony.
“I thought about my Dad receiving his MBE from the Queen in 1981, while fighting to have his Noongar Sovereignty recognised, fully aware of the Monarch’s role in dispossessing his people. I decided to take my lead from those who recognise the importance of stepping into the room in order to change it.
“In this referendum year, I’m grateful to be among those advocating for change.”
