The Broadcasters’ Speech

Should one expect flawless spoken English on America’s national broadcasting networks? Does that mean no accents, no minor speech disorders, proper pronunciation and so on?


The answer is No! Last Sunday, I was watching the weekly CBS show, “Sunday Morning” – a magazine program that includes features and monologues. Two of the reporters had lisps. Whereas years ago that would have been perceived as an intolerable imperfection, today it is seen as a reflection of an inclusive society. It is a society where people with a variety of backgrounds and speaking styles help us understand the real world. That doesn’t mean that today’s reporters shouldn’t do their best to speak well.

Significantly, Tom Brokaw and Barbara Walters, both pillars of the U.S. television news industry, swallow their Ls. They are certainly role models and have become superstars – and  are more representative of their audiences. Today’s broadcasts feature people of diverse backgrounds, cultures and styles.

We need to celebrate that!