Among the most loyal listeners of National Public Radio–ready for this?–are taxi cab drivers in Washington, D.C. and probably those elsewhere through the United States.
Many listeners who are non-English speaking immigrants say that NPR and public radio in general give them the best information and the clearest diction on American radio. They appreciate NPR’s clear pronunciation and its overall high standards of broadcasting.
NPR ombudsman Jeffrey A. Dvorkin in his column says NPR even has guidelines for reporters, including a list of frequently mispronounced words such as imminent/eminent and terrorist/terrace that can confuse listeners. If you’re trying to book a spot on an NPR station, you should be aware of them–particularly if you’re using these words in your pitch. Read his column.
Getting onto NPR can be a crapshoot unless you understand the labyrinth of NPR, you know you whom to pitch and when to pitch them. Publicist Lissa Warren, who has booked hundreds of her clients on NPR programs, unravels of the mysteries of how to find your way onto the airwaves in “How to Get Booked on NPR,” available as a CD or electronic transcript.