Am I Giving Up Being Jamaican for an American Broadcasting Career?

[Peasie]

I know this young lady



I view journalists as the honesty police. It’s our job to tell people’s truths and reveal any lies the powers that be may tell.
Lately, I've been wondering if I’m the liar.

I’m in the midst of trying to achieve my dream of becoming a broadcast journalist by getting my master’s degree at the University of Maryland.
Shortly after I started classes in June, a classmate noticed something about me that I had begun to think might jeopardize that career — my accent.
She did it kindly, but it resurrected worries I've long held about the Jamaican lilt that makes me feel a part of something back home, but separate here.
I thought about the long hard road to getting a job in broadcasting.

And right then and there, I switched my accent to an American one.

The rest here on American Journalism Review

[SKYJUICE221]

Keep your head up mygirl. It only makes me proud of u.

[Yuriatin]

Nonsense - no dear girl - u are NOT giving up 'being' Jamaican. That's not even literally or figuratively possible.

That said, career wise and professionally people from all walks of life have had to change, adapt, bend, modify various aspects of their lives in order to advance.

In the fickle and fake world of television/media/entertainment, the only time you will NOT have to adapt, would be if one remains in their native country and works there - or if and when we as a people, FULLY run, manage, own media outlets, stations and properties. Until that day comes, yes, we'll have to adapt.

[Wahalla]

i had a chat with a Norwegian friend of mine on a similar issue today...

His teenage daughter speaks perfect English... with a Norwegian accent and a unconventional turn of phrase..... She wants to come to London to learn English....

I think it is a bad idea... it is part of her,,,she will be able to function. It makes her outstanding.... it disturbs me.. He made a similar comment....

[j-kid]

Usually it is the dark skinned broadcasters that they try to change. I know many broadcasters on American radio, and TV with an accent.

[Tropicana]

Hey it's the putting a rough over your head and eating business again. No I wouldn't fault her. I am Jamaican and I don't have a Jamaican accent either. Whopee doo. A

Notice the hair. Trust me if she was wearing a natural or braids it would not have been as easy for her to get that job. Till that situation changes, I don't fault her for that either.

[Reggae plus]

As someone who has spent over 40 years in the broadcast industry...albeit in Canada...I can tell you that the idea of dropping the accent in order to land that job...and not just the first one by any means...is still a key to success. Mind you if you were born and raised in Jamaica it may be hard to completely "switch". But you do the best you can and practice evening up any 'edges'.

J-kid is right that there are many on the air with accents. BUT not that many on national shows. You don't want to be stuck doing the weather or entertainment beat stuff forever I'm guessing. Nor, I would think, do you want to search long and hard for that first job only to find that after you you land it you'll be stuck there for a long long time.

For years...make that decades...everybody on the air had a 'North American' name...even if it was made up. Now there is a certain amount of 'ethnicity' represented on the air. Accents though? That's a ways off...at least on network TV and radio. There have been loads of Canadians who've worked and who work American TV and radio. Why? NO ACCENT. [or at the very least a neutral accent]

Why?

It's [neutral] the dialect most people understand the easiest. And it doesn't allow small minded biggots to imagine that you're anything other than a red, white and blue, flag waving patriot with the Star Spangled Banner tattooed on your posterior. So MANY Americans have little or no time for 'firiners' that any accent immediately puts a national media outlet at risk of being drowned in Tea. And unless you happen to be the Jamaican or West Indies news correspondent your credibility may be questioned by anybody who drinks tea or attends that type of 'party'

Are you giving up being a Jamaican? Move yourself and g'way. Oh wait. That's exactly what you're doing because it's the smart thing to do. Howdy pardner. Good luck with YOUR broadcast career.