Voice - the tool

When I think about news readers, some had very distinctive speech patterns that almost DEMANDED your attention.

Huntley-Brinkley - Chet Huntley would put me to sleep with his patter, David Brinkley had a clipped pattern with perfect enunciation and inflection. You never wanted to miss a word.

Walter Cronkite leaned into the camera, sometimes took his glasses off, if he did you better pay attention, he is going to say something important. You could hear the excitement in his voice when talking about rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral . . . and the almost reverent tones when announcing the death of JFK.

Harry Reasoner was always smiling, like he knew a secret and might share it with you.

Andy Rooney's voice made you think he was making up a funny story, when in fact he was saying what bugged him and probably bugged you as well.

Paul Harvey had a voice for radio. Booming baritone, mid-western accent and pregnant pauses.

People tell me I sound younger than my years and they don't detect a southern accent even though I have lived in the south (TN, AL, GA) all my life. I don't try to sound like someone else, it just happens. One thing I was told early on was to change my facial expression when talking, either F2F or on the phone. That one thing translates to your voice and creates changes in speed, volume and inflection.

Good thread. Thanks for sharing.
Keith Morrison from Dateline has a great voice as a narrator. It almost always sucks me into the story.
 
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