Blog Post
From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Wednesday, July 16th 2008 at 7:52

I'M CONFUSED

Did you ever notice that when an NPR host is not on the air, that host is "away?" What's up with that terminology?

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On rare occasions, that person may be "on assignment," but never on "vacation," "sick," or "off." What's the reason for that?

Does NPR think having a high-profile host on "vacation" stirs up some sort of negative connotation? NPR employees do get time off for vacation, don't they?

Another thing that confuses me is Deborah Amos, who is filling in for Rene Montagne today on Morning Edition, since Rene is "away." Half the time she introduces herself as "Deborah," while the other half she is simply "Deb."

I asked local host David Close about whether he noticed a pattern in which name she uses and he told me she's "Deborah" at the top of the hour and "Deb" at the bottom. Is the bottom-of-the-hour audience less formal than the top of the hour? Am I the only one who notices this?

How many question marks did I use in this blog? I'm so confused.

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