Should you try to change the way you talk for a media interview?
Perhaps you have a regional accent, or you tend to drop your Gs.
Would that annoy the audience when you are in front of a microphone or TV camera?
Maybe you just have a perception of what sounds ‘right’.
These are concerns and questions people often share at the start of our media training courses.
And it is easy to understand why, as people in the media are often criticised for how they speak.
In particular, the habit of dropping Gs has become a rumbling issue.
TV presenter Alex Scott found herself in the spotlight when Lord Digby Jones took to social media to complain that her pronouncing “running” as “runnin” and “throwing” as “throwin” was ruinin(g) the Olympics.
He wrote: “Enough! I can’t stand it anymore!
“Alex Scott spoils a good presentational job on the BBC Olympics Team with her very noticeable inability to pronounce her ‘g’s at the end of a word.
“Competitors are NOT taking part, Alex, in the fencin, rowin, boxin, kayakin, weightliftin & swimmin.”
Enough! I can’t stand it anymore! Alex Scott spoils a good presentational job on the BBC Olympics Team with her very noticeable inability to pronounce her ‘g’s at the end of a word.Competitors are NOT taking part, Alex, in the fencin, rowin, boxin, kayakin, weightliftin & swimmin
— Lord Digby Jones (@Digbylj) July 30, 2021
The presenter hit back, saying: “I’m from a working class family in East London, Poplar, Tower Hamlets & I am PROUD. Proud of the young girl who overcame obstacles, and proud of my accent! It’s me, it’s my journey, my grit.”
But Ms Scott is not alone in facing criticism.
Another presenter often attacked for dropping her Gs is Beth Rigby, the political editor, of Sky News.
Obviously I haven't had one, otherwise I wouldn't drop my g's 🙄 https://t.co/yX9wG5O5xg
— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) March 16, 2017
In a 2019 interview, she said: “Some people didn’t think I should be on television if I couldn’t talk properly. I was really upset. I remember someone in Parliament, who I knew, went, “You’re really right for telly, but can you just stop dropping your Gs?”
She said that she considered trying to change her diction, but decided against it. “This is who I am,” she said.
When Ms Scott came under fire from Lord Digby, the political editor tweeted her support, saying: “Keep doin’ what you do so brilliantly.”
T is another letter that sometimes goes missing. Presenter Rylan Clark was recently criticised for this while hosting The One Show.
And it is not just those asking the questions who have been pulled up over how they speak. Home Secretary Priti Patel and London mayor Sadiq Khan have also been mocked for G-dropping during media interviews.
Both Priti Patel (raised in Watford) and Beth Rigby (raised in Beaconsfield) drop their g’s - is that prevalent in the northern Home Counties? https://t.co/STIaaixmGW
— Phil Riley (@radioriley) April 25, 2020
But it is not just the tendency to miss out certain letters that our media training delegates worry about. They also are concerned strong regional accents could be a distraction or prevent them from being taken seriously.
This is an issue Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of the Labour party, has brought up. In January she tweeted that her “accent and grammar” were being “critiqued”.
She has also previously posted: "Anonymous hard right accounts attacking my accent again saying l am thick etc, I will reiterate I am proud of my accent and will not change!"
While Ms Rayner defends the way she speaks, Margaret Thatcher famously moved away from her Lincolnshire accent as she progressed to power.
Time for a quick history lesson?
Well, the BBC didn’t allow regional accents on to the air until 1941, when William Pickles became a newsreader. Even then, it was not an attempt to appeal more to the public. Instead, there was a belief his Yorkshire accent would be more difficult for the Nazis to impersonate.
And it was not a move that went down well with everyone - it was said that some people were less inclined to believe the news when it was read by Mr Pickles.
But times - like the way we speak - change. There are now many regional accents on the airwaves and a desire to hear more.
Broadcasters want a diverse range of voices on the airwaveS to better reflect their audience and society. They don’t want to appear London or southern-centric and understand people want to hear people who sound like them.
So, what does this mean for spokespeople?
Well, despite the debate that surrounds accents and pronunciation, we tell delegates on our media training courses to focus on what they want to say and not how they speak.
“Be yourself” is something you will often hear our expert tutors say.
No one likes hearing their voice - I’m still getting over hearing mine on a recent episode of The Media Landscape podcast. But our training builds the confidence to make spokespeople overcome this self-consciousness and be the best version of themselves.
Talking the same way you would if you were speaking to friends or family creates authenticity. It helps spokespeople to come across as warm, friendly and genuine. The Geordie accent, for example, is often voted the country’s friendliest and most trustworthy accent in polls.
Additionally, a spokesperson with a regional accent can also help an organisation show commitment to a particular area and the people who live there. And help it engage and win the trust of the audience.
Angela Rayner is one of the Labour Party’s most authentic communicators, and with a northern accent. Not totally clear tonight how her sacking helps win back the red wall.
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) May 8, 2021
That said, there are a couple of changes spokespeople should change to the way they speak, in particular avoiding overusing words like ‘so’, ‘well’ and ‘look’ at the start of responses.
I was talking to Howard Bentham, one of our expert tutors, about this on a recent media training course. He said: “The word 'so' has become a thing I've noticed more and more.
“I actively have to warn delegates off doing it because it becomes distracting and annoying.
“'Look' is also creeping in. As well as being annoying, it also sounds defensive and aggressive.”
Spokespeople should also try to slow their pace. Sometimes people naturally talk quickly. Others tend to do it when the media interview adrenaline kicks in.
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The problem is it can lead to messages being missed or misconstrued, and, in a print interview, it has the potential to lead to spokespeople being misquoted.
G-dropping, T-dropping and regional twangs may not be acceptable to everyone. But most people won’t pay much attention to them.
Rather than focusing on correct pronunciation, spokespeople should concentrate on being themselves and sharing stories that support their message and bring it to life.
More people will remember what you said and how it made them feel, rather than how you said it.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with over 35 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
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