What's up with the announcers' voices on NPR?

[RickJay]

@garygnu

Announcers should write their own copy, as should anchors. Why this is not the case I’d love to know.

It’s not the case because it’s pointless. Why should announcers write their own copy? It’s like saying carpenters should have to chop down the trees to make their lumber, or that taxi drivers should have to assemble their own cars.

And yes, the “MEEchelle Norris” thing drives me nuts, too. You have an ordinary name, deal with it.

[vetbridge]

@RickJay

And yes, the “MEEchelle Norris” thing drives me nuts, too. You have an ordinary name, deal with it.

Am I the only one that thinks, “Meechelle, my belle.”?

[Catamount]

@RickJay

And yes, the “MEEchelle Norris” thing drives me nuts, too. You have an ordinary name, deal with it.

Up until this thread, I thought her name was Nichelle because of her emphatic pronunciation. Now I see that she has no excuse.

[Acsenray]

In Norris’s defense, she does spell it “Michele,” which does look slightly more unusual than “Michelle,” perhaps calling for a slightly more unusual pronunciation.

No? Okay. I’m not married to the idea.

[AuntiePam]

@Beware of Doug

IIRC, it’s Lynne Rossetto Kasper. To me she doesn’t sound smarmy, but sensualist - ie: someone with a high capacity for enjoyment. YMMV of course.

Whoa, I think you’re right. Her voice is seductive. I’m just not used to that tone when it’s used to discuss food.

But what is it about WOI that makes every program sound like it’s coming from a tiled restroom? When they switch over to Iowa City you hear a much deader, crisper room tone.

I haven’t noticed that, but now I’ll be listening for it.

(BTW, my dad was a student dj/announcer at WOI in the late 50s, back when the studios were in Snedeker Hall, and many years later worked in Instructional Technology in the Comm Bldg.)

Cool.

The local show is the only local show I’m familiar with – I haven’t listened to what’s offered in big city markets. But I have to think that the WOI people are doing a good job. It’s one of the biggest benefits of living in central Iowa. (There aren’t many.)

Say it with me: Southern Oscillation Index!

[garygnu]

@RickJay

It’s not the case because it’s pointless. Why should announcers write their own copy? It’s like saying carpenters should have to chop down the trees to make their lumber, or that taxi drivers should have to assemble their own cars…

It’s not like that at all. The more appropriate analogy in those cases would be the carpenter should pick out the wood he uses for a given project, or a taxi driver should adjust the seat he’ll be driving in.
Have you ever spoken, out loud, a series of sentences that someone else wrote and stumbled or hesitated on the choice of wording? Ever hear a two-bit radio DJ monotonously rattle off a sponsor’s ad and it made no sense?
Furthermore, it’s part of the job description:

@US Department of Labor

Announcers also need strong writing skills, because they normally write their own material.

[fishbicycle]

I’ve known hundreds of announcers, none of whom write any of their own copy. Newscasters often spend most of their day compiling and writing news stories which they will then read on their shift. As for those of us who are just announcers, they read what copy they are given by the relevant department, ad agency or public service concern. My best friend is heard all over the country. His scripts are e-mailed or faxed to him at home, he records them there and sends them by ftp to the clients.

I’ve written next-to-nothing I’ve said on the air here for 6 1/2 years.