2022.04.04 – 0459 – Does A Conversational Read Lessen Your Authority?
VOICE BOX
The best reads are a combination of intonation, volume, speed, pause, pitch – all slightly dialled up or down depending on the story, the sentence, the word, the situation, the audience…
But does being conversational lessen one’s authority? For example, in news reading.
Presenting ‘the facts’ you are the voice of authority, the trusted conveyor of important information. But if you sound too official, your message (arguably) won’t be received as well as it might were you to have a more accessible, engaging and authentic style.
There’s a balance to be struck:
· Informal formality
· Familiar but not overly
· Relaxed but not lazy
· Loose but in control
“Good radio speech should be:
Warm but not smarmy
Friendly but not intrusive or too cosy
Clear, but not over-elocuted or precise
Natural but not undisciplined, authoritative but not aggressive
Fluent but not unbelievable
Sympathetic but not patronising”
BBC Local Radio Training Manual, 1987
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