Interview on the WGBH show Boston Public Radio about the increasing casualness of political communication. (July 9, 2012)
FDR’s fireside chats are among the earliest examples of a president speaking directly to the people. But what if he had been texting, and tweeting instead? What kind of persona would he have? And how much folksy charm would he be able to get away with?
Linguist Ben Zimmer looks at how today’s politicians, particularly Mitt Romney and President Obama, are getting extremely casual and faux-familiar when it comes to communicating with us in email and out there in cyberspace.
(Show page, audio, related Boston Globe column)