Yesterdaym, I was once again astounded by the level of education being exhibited by a DJ of a radio station, more so as this one in particular was dealing with one of our nation's children.
A male presenter with a less-than-Trini accent (which personally confuses me when DJs have non-Trini accents–an accent we should be proud of, but that's a tangent) on a morning show was facilitating a spelling competition for children where a prize was awarded. Thankfully the child, after stumbling on beginning to spell the word "commercial," restarted the spelling and got it right. But the presenter told him/her it was spelt "commericial."
He even asked the child if the child wanted to spell it the first way he/she tried initially and the child confidently said "no" and stuck by the way he/she spelt it.
I was shocked that no one, like the producer, corrected the presenter until after an advertising break. I caught the error but what happens to commuters on their way to school/work or housewives at home or workers in their office who were listening to this incorrect spelling "correction." Some might have believed it!
I am sure there were many people shouting at their radios in outrage like me. We are all human and make errors but the presenter went on to blame the copywriter more than once on air instead of just admitting he made a mistake (even if it was incorrectly spelt on his programming format sheet).
Lesson: Sometimes in every aspect of life we have to question authority to protect our individuality and confidence, but also we have to learn to say wrong is wrong and own up to it rather than blame others.
J Gomes