Whose is the voice of the American public? Latinx speech and the standard language ideology of public radio

Abstract

When National Public Radio (NPR) was originally founded, the network was designed to represent the diverse population of the United States. In recent years, Latinxs have become a growing part of the American electorate, but the degree to which NPR incorporates Latinx speech into its on-air broadcasts remains uncertain. Using a case study approach, I argue that NPR employs broadcast practices that privilege white, educated, middle-class listeners excluding speakers of traditionally stigmatized varieties. I ground my arguments in the concept of Standard Language Ideology, or a bias toward an idealized, homogenous spoken language, imposed and maintained by dominant bloc institutions.