Many television news reporters need diction lessons....

Many television news reporters need diction lessons. I am not writing only about local news, but network news as well. The reporters can’t pronounce million and billion differently. Many times, the only way I can tell the difference is by listening to find out what the news subject is. For example, when the subject is the California lottery and it sounds like the reporter is saying that sales have been $140 billion to date, I know it has to be $140 million. And if the national defense budget sounds like it is $225 million, then I know it has to be $225 billion.

Bernhardt Sandler, Venice