Last week, Chenjerai Kumanyika, an African-American professor, hip-hop artist and public media fan, wrote an essay on the public media site Transom about the lack of diversity he experienced in listening to public media. Kumanyika wrote that while workshopping a radio piece, he became troubled to find himself modulating his voice to sound like popular podcasters Roman Mars and Sarah Koenig, who are white.
He wrote:
Those two very different voices have many complex and wonderful qualities. They also sound like white people. My natural voice — the voice that I most use when I am most comfortable — doesn’t sound like that. Thinking about this, I suddenly became self-conscious about the way that I instinctively alter my voice and way of speaking in certain conversational contexts, and I realized that I didn’t want to do that for my first public radio style piece.
Of course, I’m not alone in facing this challenge. Journalists of various ethnicities, genders and other identity categories intentionally or unintentionally internalize and “code-switch” to be consistent with culturally dominant “white” styles of speech and narration. As I wrote my script for my Transom workshop piece, I was struggling to imagine how my own voice would sound speaking those words. This is partially because I am an African-American male, a professor, and hip-hop artist whose voice has been shaped by black, cultural patterns of speech and oratory. I could easily imagine my more natural voice as an interviewee or as the host of a news style podcast about “African-American issues”, or even a sports or hip-hop podcast. Despite the sad and inexplicable disappearance of NPR shows like Tell Me More, I can find many examples of African-American hosts of both of those kinds of media. But in my mind’s ear, it was harder to hear my voice, that is to say my type of voice, as the narrator of the specific kind of narrative, non-fiction radio piece that I was making.
Kumanyika then posted an audio clip of a conversation he had with a collaborator of his, A.D. Carson. When he asked Carson what he heard when he listened to “This American Life” and other public radio shows, Carson said, “I hear middle-aged white dudes who sound like they just drank some really warm coffee.”
On Thursday, NPR’s Code Switch hosted a Twitter chat on the subject with Kumanyika and some minority public-radio journalists, plus commenters from the general public. The chat was moderated by Code Switch lead blogger Gene Demby. The journalist participants included our own morning newscaster, Joshua Johnson.
Here’s the full list of those taking part.
Chenjerai Kumanyika (@catchatweetdown) — assistant professor, Clemson University Sam Sanders (@samsanders) — general assignment reporter, NPR Celeste Headlee (@CelesteHeadelee) — host, Georgia Public Radio Maxie Jackson (@Maxiewcpn) — station manager, WCPN Joshua Johnson (@jejohnson322) — newscaster, KQED Audie Cornish (@npraudie) — host, NPR’s All Things Considered A.C. Valdez (@ACVTweets) — senior producer, Latino USA
Here’s a curated list of Tweets from the conversation, followed by a Storify of the entire discussion.
Does #pubradio have a "whiteness" problem? Read http://t.co/MZMdbmnCHg & join @NPRCodeSwitch @CelesteHeadlee for twitter chat #PubRadioVoice
— Tanya Ott (@tanyaott1) January 29, 2015
#pubradiovoice what goes for black voices also goes for other accents (ie southern accents). I find i speak diff depending on the audience.
— Katie Smith (@katielizsmith) January 29, 2015
.@mictoground I wonder though, is special attention to whiteness of service? To Whom?
— A.C. Valdez (@ACVTweets) January 29, 2015
brought up on NYC pub radio listserv, but so many freelancers in industry means fewer institutions 2 promote hiring different #PubRadioVoice
— Jim Briggs (@jimbriggs3) January 29, 2015
Back in the day it was, "How come you don't have an accent?" @GeeDee215 @catchatweetdown @nprAudie @Maxiewcpn @CelesteHeadlee
— Doug Mitchell (@nextgenradio) January 29, 2015
#pubradiovoice What concerned me also was so many who said they didn't hear their real voices and so turned away from public media.
— Maria Hinojosa (@Maria_Hinojosa) January 29, 2015
@GeeDee215 @catchatweetdown @nprAudie @Maxiewcpn @CelesteHeadlee people used to ask in the comments if I was black. #PubRadioVoice
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) January 29, 2015
I also know that when ppl have thought about getting mad at my race stories, lots of them see my twitter avatar and shut up #pubradiovoice
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) January 29, 2015
Less to literal voice, I've been told in pitch mtgs (not at current job) that my Latino experience is less authentic. #pubradiovoice
— A.C. Valdez (@ACVTweets) January 29, 2015
Anyway, @democracynow sent an email explaining they needed a voice-over—they asked for a "Latino sounding" person to do it. #PubRadioVoice
— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) January 29, 2015
I had no idea @npraudie was black for years. my white upbringing/ignorance built those assumptions, but still… #PubRadioVoice
— David Stieber (@dgstieber) January 29, 2015
#pubradiovoice @giannabgimenez @ACVTweets Don’t want to diminish the efforts/work of public radio professionals to improve their craft
— Ellemarieg (@lmariegregory) January 30, 2015
+ #pubradiovoice @giannabgimenez @ACVTweets but ‘different’ voices should have the opportunity to lead conversations +
— Ellemarieg (@lmariegregory) January 30, 2015
#PubRadioVoice @giannabgimenez @ACVTweets rather than just be subjects of them
— Ellemarieg (@lmariegregory) January 30, 2015
I think that if public radio is serious about "sounding like America," they certainly haven't shown it. #pubradiovoice
— Jesse Thorn (@JesseThorn) January 29, 2015
Part of the problem in showcasing distinct voices is programmers suggesting our "curious audience" isn't "that curious" #PubRadioVoice
— Maxie C Jackson III (@Maxiewcpn) January 29, 2015
More than "whiteness" voice also that accent-free, urbane voice without any regional flavor #PubRadioVoice
— P. Mimi Poinsett MD (@yayayarndiva) January 29, 2015
My favorite, the backhanded compliment — "You sound more American on the radio." #pubradiovoice
— Asma Khalid (@asmamk) January 29, 2015
We need to move past content/voices listeners are "ready" for & really challenge them instead. Meaning more diverse/younger #PubRadioVoice
— E. Quinn Libson (@quinnlibson) January 29, 2015
Been a prof voice over artist since childhood. I've always been trained to sound like I'm from nowhere & have no race. #PubRadioVoice
— Kenya Downs (@LiveFromKenya) January 29, 2015
I'll go deeper. The fact that I sounded "white" was a problem for blacks in my hometown. A REAL problem #pubradiovoice
— Doug Mitchell (@nextgenradio) January 29, 2015
I feel strongly that people should speak in their real voices and that no voice is more "authentically" ethnic than any other #pubradiovoice
— Jesse Thorn (@JesseThorn) January 29, 2015
There's a difference between style and accent. Canadian broadcasters working in the U.S. are often sent for diction training. #pubradiovoice
— Saleem Khan (@SaleemChat) January 29, 2015
Moderating and modulating tone and inflection to be easily understood is one thing, but erasing identity is another. #pubradiovoice
— Saleem Khan (@SaleemChat) January 29, 2015
And, sometimes, don’t all our voices change to fit context we find ourselves in? #pubradiovoice
— Jay Allison (@jay_allison) January 29, 2015
A woman in Detroit asked me why ppl on @NPR sound white when they're reporting & then say their names with an accent. #PubRadioVoice
— Celeste Headlee (@CelesteHeadlee) January 29, 2015
It took me YEARS to start WRITING how I actually SPOKE in real life. #pubradiovoice
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) January 29, 2015
AfroAms are disarmed by my 'white-sounding' accent. MT @nextgenradio The fact that I sounded "white" was a prob for blacks #pubradiovoice
— Rachel Décoste (@RachelDecoste) January 29, 2015
There's also a general question as to how people who are Spanish speakers should (and shouldn't) pronounce words on the air. #PubRadioVoice
— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) January 29, 2015
Can we all agree that "no regional accent" is code for "mid-atlantic white?" #PubRadioVoice
— E. Quinn Libson (@quinnlibson) January 29, 2015
People expect you to say Tchaikovsky right. Good luck saying Santa Ana the way it was meant to sound in Spanish on the air. #PubRadioVoice
— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) January 29, 2015
Tis a sign of multicultural prowess when a person pronounces a non-English name properly. Tis a strength, not a weakness! #PubRadioVoice
— Rachel Décoste (@RachelDecoste) January 29, 2015
@catchatweetdown #PubRadioVoice The sad truth is public radio does not see POC as the audience, but rather as interesting subject matter
— Ms. Wright (@msonemic) January 29, 2015
1. ALRIGHT. Can I bring up something that may be a little controversial in the #pubradiovoice convo? I like to call it "soft talk"
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) January 30, 2015
In public radio, you better pronounce Gov. Schwarzenegger as expected. Mayor Villaraigosa? Tidy it up! #PubRadioVoice
— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) January 30, 2015
2. Ok. SOFT TALK. Definition: working very hard to be inoffensive, calm, soothing, almost perpetually apologetic. It's awful. #PubRadioVoice
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) January 30, 2015
3. Is half of our beef with pub radio sounding too white just being mad at "soft talk"? #PubRadioVoice
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) January 30, 2015
.@GeeDee215 if it sounds like I just walked into a room of rich, white people I tune out. They aren't telling stories for me. #PubRadioVoice
— Sylvia (@thepipsqueaks) January 30, 2015
To hear a voice here & there is not enough in 2015. Tokenism & "inclusion" should not be the goal for Indigenous voices. #PubRadioVoice
— Ryan McMahon Comedy (@RMComedy) January 30, 2015
I would LOVE to hear the news being read by a non-traditional-NPR voice. And I think it would help to change perspectives #pubradiovoices
— Kathleen Heyer (@KMH_Esq) January 30, 2015