Catherine Byaruhanga.....

[ToraToraTora]

Now I know that we must have ethnic diversity in news readers but how did this woman pass a screen test? She can't pronounce "L", says "De" instead of "the" and stumbles over sentences all the time, just waiting to see if she says "aks"! What happened to quality, like Clive Myrie, Trevor McDonut and Moira Stewart for example? 

[barry1010]

She isn't just a newsreader though, she has an excellent journalistic background.  I think she is perfectly understandable despite not using received pronunciation.  She has been reporting from many countries for the BBC since 2012.

[davebro3]

BBC budget problems have probably forced them to ditch the elocution lessons. 😀

[barry1010]

Steph McGovern has often complained about the BBC asking her to modify her Middlesborough accent.  I'm glad she didn't - tv should embrace accents and represent the whole country.  

[Old_Geezer]

I rarely watch much TV news so can't place the lady you refer to, but I think I know where you are coming from. Local accents, if not broad and thus different to understand, are all very well, but not carte blanche for an anything goes policy.

[ToraToraTora]

I'm not talking about other journo jobs with accents etc I'm talking about the actual news reader. They should have neutral non accented clear diction as they always have had until recently. Steph McGovern et al can do their bits with their accents, fine not the news reader.

[THECORBYLOON]

This is Catherine Byaruhanga on the BBC from a few month ago. Another presenter is seen at the start and during the video.

?si=vCGyikYsnGRrSDqk

 

[Mozz71]

If Corby's video is anything to go by, she's perfectly understandable. An accent, yes, but not one which makes her difficult to comprehend.

[barry1010]

Maybe it is your listening skills that are lacking, rather than her accent 

[naomi24]

I had to watch Corby's video - I couldn't put my finger on who she is - but she sounds middle of the road and easily understandable to me. Rather her accent than distinctive regional accents like Scouse, Brummie, West Country, broad Irish, broad Scottish or Steph McGovern's ear-grating offerings.  

[barry1010]

It's laughable that you complain about this, TTT, with your fondness for made up 'rhyming slang' and invented abbreviations.  You don't believe in making yourself clearly understood by all

[ToraToraTora]

oh goody the contrarians are about! News readers have always had clear unambiguous diction. Like Sir Trevor McDonald for example. One who can't say "the" would not normally get anywhere near the screen as a newsreader, end of.

[naomi24]

That's a very good point, barry.  What do you have to say to that, TTT?   ;o)

[ToraToraTora]

barry, I'm not a news reader. I have a fondness for slang, languages etc I don't talk like I write. I have no accent and perfect diction.

[brainiac]

Due to its cost-cutting measures, the BBC News Channel uses a lot of 'foreign' newsreaders now, particularly in the evenings when it is broadcast from Singapore and the USA.  They'vs got rid of good, experienced presenters like Martine Croxall and replaced them with inexperienced ones.

Among the many changes, there is more nightly newspaper review and they've axed the excellent short weekly film review by Mark Kermode.  The whole channel has rapidly gone downhill.

[THECORBYLOON]

Why is this in, "News" by the way?

[davebro3]

she seems ok to me

[barry1010]

If I wrote in my dialect very few would understand me, so I choose not to despite being very fond and proud of my accent and dialect.

[Ken4155]

You must have got out of the grumpy side of the bed, this morning, TTT. In TCL's clip, she is very clear and precise, prononcing her 'ls' and saying "The war in..." and not "De war in".

Maybe you need to loosen some of that earwax😉

[naomi24]

//I don't talk like I write. I have no accent and perfect diction.//

 

...but no mention of grammar ....  :o))

[barry1010]

Braniac, Catherine Byaruhanga is a very experienced journalist and broadcaster, not some airhead able to read the news with perfect diction without understanding it.  I doubt she is a cost saving exercise