De-lighted to hear correct language

I have read an article about what is being referred to as ‘the news voice’ – the speaking voice that, as soon as the television camera rolls or the microphone is switched on, the newsreader and reporter suddenly speaks in. By all accounts, they speak in a deeper voice that becomes perfectly polished. I agreed in part, that newsreaders speak in clear, distinct voices with beautiful diction. Anyone and everyone is able to understand them. As for reporters, some missed the class about diction, as did many who do voice-overs for adverts. A glaring example is the person who does the Newshub advertisement. He tells us that New Zealand’s suicide rates ‘madder’, our taxes ‘madder’, our homeless and a whole heap of other issues ‘madder’. Listening to his poor use of the English language makes me madder – every time I hear the advertisement. Sadly, he isn’t the only one slipping into the bad habit of replacing a ‘t’ with a ‘d’. It has been suggested that the ‘BBC-style’ voice, that our newsreaders use, should be dropped, so a more natural Kiwi accent can come through. I hope not. Can you imagine Simon Dallow, Wendy Petrie, Mike McRoberts and Samantha Hayes suddenly dropping their t’s? The news would become farcical. So would the weather, if Ingrid Hipkiss or Renee Wright started to tell us that the weather was going to be ‘brighder’ or ‘wedder’? Repeat after me ... matter, later, better, brighter, wetter. There’s no ‘d’ in any of these words

T – Not a D (Whangarei)