I have been a long time listener of NPR in all it’s facets…I have wondered for a long time if Diane Rehm’s manner of speech is due to a stroke or some other malady? She speaks like she is either very elderly, or having strained speech…Anyone know why?
Spasmodic Dysphonia. It was a while ago though - most people have gotten used to her “new” voice and can barely remember the old one.
Here’s a bio from her NPR site. In relevant part:
Wow. I had no idea things were that complex.
Thanks for the link.
Wow, I remember when her voice changed, and I just attributed it to advancing age. (Seems to me she’s gotten a lot more combative over the years too.) I guess I didn’t listen often enough to notice whether the change was gradual or sudden.
You’re not the only one to wonder. I was totally shocked when I saw a picture of her once, as I had assumed she was much older than she is. I googled 'til I knew what was going on.
She is gone at intervals for voice treatments, too, but I don’t know exactly what those entail.
Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, has this condition as well. He talks about it sometimes on his blog:
I work at an NPR station and hear Diane daily. Her condition seems to be advancing, if the promos I produce are any indication. She sounds like she’s having a bit more difficulty in getting the words out, and is speaking slower recently. I applaud her courage to continue to do what she does best, despite her situation.
Thank you all, very informationsl stuff! I applaud her as well!
How long have you been listening, Phil, because it seems to me that Diane Rehm talks about her condition all the time. (Not a knock on you, a knock on her.) Yeah, you gotta have admiration for her courage and fortitude, but it seems to me that she has never been a very good interviewer – she’s way too cranky and stern-stepmotherish with callers and guests – and she has been getting worse over the years. Add that to her tendency to fawn over her friends and loved ones on the frequent occasions she invites them as her interview guests … just … just bleah.
I haven’t noticed Diane Rehm, but I heard Daniel Schorr recently and he sounded extremely frail. Is he ill? (A cursory Google search didn’t turn up anything.)
I admire her courage, etc., but she has no business working in radio. Sorry. I listen to NPR all the time, but I always change the station when her show comes on, just because I can’t stand to hear her talk. (I avoid Randi Rhodes on Air America for the same reason.)
I agree, and it has nothing to do with the sound of her voice. She is a horrible interviewer/talk show host. If she could interview properly, it wouldn’t matter what her voice sounded like.
Daniel Schorr turned 90 this year, so sounds pretty good and sharp for that advanced age. He’s had an amazing career in journalism.
I find her to be fair and ask pertinent questions.
I knew he was getting up there, but when I heard him recently he sounded a lot different than he did even a year or two ago—his voice sounded a lot weaker, as though he were struggling to speak.
I agree with ascenray. She may ask good questions, but she often doesn’t give guests a fair chance to respond. From what I’ve heard of her show, she can be just as aggressively rude as Bill O’Reilly when she doesn’t like what one of her guests has to say. I’ve heard her speak over guests, try to cow them with mean-spirited retorts, even go to commercial to prevent a guest from speaking their piece.
Well, on NPR you can’t go to commercial…
Yeah, you can - most of the NPR shows take plenty of breaks for “station identification”, and the reading of a list of sponsor organizations.
I think he might have a cold this week though. His voice definitely sounds a little rougher than usual.