0651 – When To Expect Verbal Trips and Slips

2022.10.13 – 0651 – When To Expect Verbal Trips and Slips

Many fluffs occur when you are expecting trouble, like a difficult foreign name, or when you have already fluffed and their mind is side-tracked. The irony is that the difficult name is usually pronounced flawlessly, but actually stumbles over the simple words before and behind it in the sentence.

The art of the accomplished recovery is to prepare for every contingency.

The worst mistake any presenter can make is to swear on air – don’t even think it; otherwise you will probably say it.

The commonest problem is the recorded report that fails to appear. The introduction has been read, the presenter is waiting, and – nothing. Next to swearing, the broadcaster’s second deadliest sin is dead air. Silent airspace is worst on radio. On TV, viewers can watch the embarrassed expression on the presenter’s face.

If an item fails to appear the radio presenter should apologise and move smartly on to the next. In TV, presenters will usually be directed what to do by the control room. Up to three seconds of silence is the most that should pass before the newsreader cuts in.

Be honest with the audience and try not to cover up obvious mistakes. Today’s audience is quite sophisticated about how video works, and that technical aspects can go awry, and will be understanding if they are not misled about hitches and glitched… in fact they often rather enjoy them!

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