Lexis Episode 35 - an opinion articles special with Harriet Williamson
Here are the show notes for Episode 35, an opinion articles special, in which Dan and Jacky talk to Harriet Williamson, the Voices Commissioning Editor at The Independent about:
- Opinion articles and what makes a good one, including pieces about language issues
- The job of a commissioning editor
- Paths into journalism
- Educating the public about language
Harriet’s Independent page: https://www.independent.co.uk/author/harriet-williamson
Harriet on Twitter: https://twitter.com/harriepw
Indy Voices on Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndyVoices
Harriet’s article on accent-shaming: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/accent-bias-shaming-bbc-english-b2216735.html
Harriet on why, if you want to be a writer, it pays to be a reader: https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/editors-letters/better-writer-journalism-reading-stephen-king-b2140181.html
Victoria Richards’ article on language and refugees:
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/suella-braverman-invasion-migrants-firebombing-b2214905.html
And in our regular Lang in the News segment, Lisa, Jacky and Dan discuss and analyse an article by Michael Deacon of the Daily Telegraph that lays into the BBC’s Amol Rajan over his views on accents at the BBC. We also look at two letters from Telegraph readers in response to (and in support of) the Deacon article. We also see how many times we can say Amol Rajan’s name in the space of 30 minutes…
Make sure you have the article to hand as we pull it apart!
Michael Deacon article here (paywalled version): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2022/09/28/amol-rajans-attack-posh-presenters-pure-inverted-snobbery/
Michael Deacon article here (Pressreader version): https://pressreader.com/article/281573769572585
Letters here: https://pressreader.com/article/282093460615450
Amol Rajan’s Cracking the Class Ceiling programme https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001fygr
And reviewed here
Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2022/12/06/how-crack-class-ceiling-review/
Amol Rajan’s initial points reported here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/09/27/amol-rajan-accuses-bbc-posh-having-accent-bias