The ombudsman of Latvian electronic media Edmunds Apsalons (in the photo) received a complaint stating that there are systematic discrepancies with the norms of the Latvian literary language in the pronunciation of the announcers in the programs of the Latvian state media (LSM), particularly in the news broadcasts of LR1.
According to the applicant (who is not specifically identified, but many suspect who it was), examples of this include unjustified softening of consonants, incorrect stress and duration of vowels, as well as the influence of Russian phonetics.
After evaluating the submitted materials in accordance with the professional principles outlined in the LSM editing guidelines, the ombudsman concluded that there are no signs of intentional weakening of the state language in the news programs of LR1, nor systematic neglect of the norms of the Latvian literary language, including incorrect pronunciation.
At the same time, the ombudsman noted that some pronunciation deficiencies can be found in the news programs, as they may be influenced by dialects, physiological factors, and the native language of the speakers. However, this is not sufficient to speak of a general problem with language quality.
In the ombudsman's opinion, the most important principle of correct pronunciation is that it should not create or contribute to a distortion of the meaning of what is said.
