Bonus: Code-switching and Cussing

Code-switching serves as a complex tool for navigating professional identity, particularly for journalists transitioning between radio, television, and independent podcasting. The "NPR voice"—a specific, neutral, and authoritative tone—often forces hosts to suppress regional accents or personality traits to meet institutional expectations. Moving away from these rigid standards allows for greater authenticity, though it introduces new challenges regarding how to perform authority and manage audience perceptions. Swearing functions as a linguistic currency that can signal honesty or build rapport with specific groups, yet its usage remains highly contextual and gendered. Ultimately, the transition from public radio to more personal media formats requires balancing professional craft with the vulnerability of being one's true self, as the camera and microphone reveal more about a person's internal state than traditional broadcast norms previously permitted.