Open Question for NPR Staff

Open Question for NPR Staff - When National Public Radio's news reporters and anchors read the names of the capitals of France, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Hungary, Romania and Russia, respectively - really, any first-world or first-world-allied nation - they say PAIR-iss, Bur-LINN, WAR-sah, AM-stir-dam, OSS-lo, Joe-HAN-es-burg, BOO-da-pest, BUU-ca-rest and MOSS-cow. They never use the native pronunciations: pair-EE, bear-LEEN, var-SHA-va, OMM-shter-dom, OO-slow, Yo-HON-esh-boork, boo-da-PESHT, bu-koo-REST-ee or MOS-kva.

But whenever the topic turns to Latin America, the Middle East or the Third World, suddenly the entire NPR news staff wraps their tongues floridly and tortuously around the most elaborate native (or pseudo-native) pronunciations. Away with Nicaragua, Pakistan, Tehran, Guatamala, Tijuana, Havana, Chile - in with Nee-ka-RRRAH-wha, Pock-ee-STON, Tay-hay-RRRRRON, Hwat-a-MAAA-la, Tee-WHAAA-na, Ha-BAAA-na, CHEEEE-lay. Combine the florid, pretentious and selective attempts at native pronunciation with the standard-issue, round-syllabled, college-professor NPR accent, and everyone sounds like Jimmy Carter on Quaaludes.

So why do NPR staffers throw themselves at Spanish and Arabic pronunciations with the determination of a pack of third-graders on a stack of Pokemon cards, but sluff through the rest of the world's place names with the gringo aplomb of a bunch of Indiana Kiwanians?

Anyone?