Nonresponsive performance in radio broadcasting: A case study

Abstract

The present study analyzes the speech of a radio presenter in a local station in Murcia and compares it to the audience's linguistic behavior as shown in the phone calls received during the program. We also analyze the data obtained in an interview with the radio presenter. Our results, which show a radical divergence between the presenter's speech and that of his audience, are contrasted with both Audience Design and Speaker Design theoretical tenets, using the explicit knowledge of the presenter's attitudes and opinions to contrast theory and fact. We conclude that neither model offers a completely satisfactory explanation of the patterns found. Finally, we reflect on the need to consider not only performance, but also the script (in the form of a professional voice used following a particular linguistic policy based on sociolinguistic norms and attitudes to language) that condition the individual linguistic behavior, thus suggesting the need to consider community-specific factors in the explanation of stylistic variation.

Canons in Media Language and Professional Voice

“…By interviewing the speaker through ethnographic work, as shown in this study by Cutillas-Espinosa and Hernández- Campoy (2006Campoy ( , 2007, or as conducted in Hernández-Campoy & Cutillas-Espinosa (2013), confirmation or rejection of initial interpretations can be obtained. Without that source of data, the sociolinguist's remarks can always be labelled as judgmental or even subjective.…”

“…With these results, Cutillas-Espinosa and Hernández- Campoy (2006Campoy ( , 2007 point at the structural limits to the freedom of speakers to design their style. Speakers do not always build their speech irrespective of sociolinguistic norms, since there may be pre-existing scripts imposed (in terms of rules, attitudes or simply structural constraints) that establish what can be said and what cannot be said.…”

“…The Script Design model, proposed by Cutillas-Espinosa and Hernández- Campoy (2006Campoy ( , 2007, underlines the need to consider not only responsive and even initiative based performance, but also the script, as part of structural constrains, that conditions the individual linguistic behaviour in public occupations. This view urges us to consider community-specific factors anchored to linguistic norm, correctness and appropriacy restraints in the explanation of stylistic variation.…”

“…The aim of this paper is to explore the theoretical underpinnings of the Script Design model (Cutillas-Espinosa & Hernández-Campoy 2006 retrospectively and in the context of media language, prescriptivism and the standard ideology. As we will see below, this intra-speaker variation model underlines the need to consider not only responsive and even initiative based performance, but also the script or use of a professional voice, as part of structural constrains, that conditions the individual linguistic behaviour in public occupations.…”

Hypervernacularisation and speaker design: A case study

“…She thus violates expectations not only for occupation and social class but also for gender, since it is often shown, or believed, that women's speech is more standard than that of men (see Trudgill 1972and Milroy & Milroy 1985. Further, the former President violates our stylistic expectations (see Cutillas-Espinosa & Hernández Campoy 2006, 2007. In Table 5 (see next page) we can see the President's usage levels for the first four variables across the five different speech events we examined: word-final post vocalic /r/ retention, word-final post vocalic /l/ retention, intervocalic /r/ retention and no consonant permutation.…”