“Standard” Appearance and “Accentless” Speech: How Performance Neutrality Limits Diversity in Broadcast News

Abstract

Scholars commonly reference journalistic neutrality, but not in the context of self-presentation. This study examines how journalists feel compelled to demonstrate neutrality through their performance of self. Through in-depth interviews ( n = 57) with broadcast journalists and those who shape their on-air presentation, I explore the construct of performance neutrality, identifying dimensions related to speech, appearance, and demeanor. Journalists negotiated expectations of performance neutrality by conforming to—and in some cases challenging—restrictive institutionalized norms. Drawing on social constructionism theory and the notion of White normativity, I argue that neutrality is a false ideal that upholds the status quo and limits diversity in broadcast journalism.