Corrective work needed for on-air presenters

Editor: I am writing this letter with the hope of betterment in some pronounciations we hear in the media today. The national media is the face of life in any country. That’s why we watch, listen or read news. In short, the media says much of who we are as Vincentians.

We all mispronounce at times. No one can claim perfection, hence the idea of being our brothers’ keeper has relevance.

Everytime I hear on National Television ;’ Feborery’, for February and ‘Janorery’ for January or ‘ Arnis Vale’ for Arnos Vale or ‘Famalee’ for Family, I conclude that some corrective measures are needed. I hear ‘Commontwealth’ for Commonwealth, the list goes on. It gives a feeling of insufficient Reading training in our school system which allows the community-based speaking to be the national norm. Sometimes we hear in the local speech; “we had was to” and so forth. Those are not expressions of dialect, rather they constitute the improper expressions of what is known as “Standard English”.

Those difficiencies in national public expressions need corrective measures . I’m hoping that some additional training will be given to those presenters on radio and television who need to correct those mispronounciations.

We are blessed with a very productive media. A proliferation of radios, news outlets, social media etc. The information and entertainment are much. We are well informed and our Diaspora listen intently to what goes on at home and while we may not be perfect, that which we put out must be acceptable and reflective of who we are and the life we live. So let’s see some improvements.

Selmon Walters.