[grc] Interesting article about "the public radio voice"

[David Goodman]

http://www.niemanlab.org/2015/04/getting-beyond-public-radio-voice-finding-and-decoding-identity-on-the-air/


My take:

That spoof of the podcast voice is hilarious. Here's my theory: As a
veteran member of GRC, the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) and
with many friends with jobs at big and important NPR affiliates, I've been
interacting with public media producers and reporters for a LONG time. And
you know what? The most common similarity I've found in the last 20 or so
years is that most of these people have NO experience doing live radio! No
experience finding their personality - or voice if you will - by doing talk
or music shows on-air. And with the advent of podcasts, this trend has
accelerated; with very few of the youngish producers ever being on the
radio!!

Years ago, lots of public radio people made the jump from Pacifica
affiliate non-comms or college radio (where they got tons of encouragement
and opportunities to do live radio) to NPR. Today, there's almost no effort
to take advantage of these "minor leagues." **

Cheers,
dg

** personally, I consider non-commercial community radio pretty major. A
crucial cultural asset. I've spent much of my adult life at these stations.
But having said that, I've never been able to make a living in it. That may
not be important to some, but to me it is.

-- 
I.B.I.S. Radio
Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA
[ibisradio.org/wordpress] - *"...it's a works in progress"*