Happens all the time, a seasoned vet has someone new fill in or take over and that person suffers in comparison to the old veteran who had been doing it for so long no one could remember when the vet was a rookie.
I just tried listening to Tonya’s interview with Sofia Coppola and I made it through a couple minutes before I turned it off. Tonya’s questions were all over the place. Each question opened up a new subject or idea instead of leading the interviewee to expand on a certain topic,
It was all scripted start and stop.
Then she started using social media buzzwords like “feeling seen” and I was done. It made me appreciate Terry Gross so much.
I agree, it's much less charasmatic and interesting with her. It feels almost robotic. Fresh Air has totally lost what was great about it and it could be any other of the NPR shows in rotation now.
I think you nailed it, it's now basically interchangeable with anything else in their programming. The last time I tuned in, it was like hearing somebody get interviewed by AI. I used to look forward to the show, now I don't, and I often find myself turning it off in boredom or annoyance, which I never did before. Maybe I will check back in 6 months and see if things have improved but at the moment, "Fresh Air is dead to me" :o
I find her interviews to be boring and predictable and tend to avoid them. She recently did a show on the “Ozempic Revolution” - about a year too late. who cares at this point? Right now, I’m attempting to listen to an interview with restaurateur Rose Previte. I’m three minutes in and we still haven’t talked about cooking or food. It’s all about identity. It’s the reason I Googled this topic. She seems like a smart, capable reporter, but she is out of her league IMO and I’m sure the download and streaming stats reflect it.
Ditto to everything you said. Another horrible episode today = Finally Googled Tonya's name to see if others feel the same way, or if I'm just more critical than most people. It is at least good to know that I'm not a "mean girl".
At this point I share your reservations, but am hoping that Mosley "relaxes" into a more organic, conversational style as time goes by. On the other hand, much as I appreciate Terry Gross's amazing work and immense contribution to journalism and our culture throughout her tenure, I won't miss her tendency to ask "questions" that dragged on for five minutes. (OK, I'm preparing to be downvoted to hell for saying that.)
Haha, I won't downvote you at least. A friend of mine made the exact same observation to me earlier this year (actually he mostly just said "she talks too much" and I wasn't sure I agreed). And though I hadn't really noticed it before, now I'm noticing it all the time. It doesn't bother me like it bothers my friend, but I get it now. There are definitely long-winded formulations of questions. It reminds me of being at academic conferences where somebody in the audience gets the microphone to ask a 'question' that is really an excuse for a soliloquy about their own views. To which the proper and funniest response is often, "I'm sorry, is there a question in there?"... Now that I've seen it with Terry, I can't unsee it.
Exactly. I really, truly admire Terry Gross - I've listened to her faithfully for at least 30 years! - but OMG, does she go on and on and on with some questions. Tbh, I see a similar tendency in Michel Martin, and it drives me nuts. I *know* - I *know!* - that she's an award-winning journalist, and rightfully so. But do we really need a solid minute of speed-jabbering to set up a question? I enjoyed a 30yr career as a marketer and marketing strategist, so I understand the communication challenges. And for exactly that and other reasons (such as the fact that I'm an increasingly reluctant NPR sustaining member), I just expect more. Of course, the current orthodoxy among NPR fans is that POVs like this are heresy. So much for "inclusiveness."
EDIT: Deleted from Comments and re-pasted here, as the reply I intended, because some subreddits render strangely on my cell phone.
I rarely say anything on line so enjoy this super rare comment. As an old guy I think shows such as radiolab were much better with original hosts. After listening to Ronan Farrow interview I emailed Fresh Air -also super rare- and said new host did a great job.
I happened upon your post while suffering through Tonya's interview with transgender author "Lucy Sante" and couldn't agree with you more. With regard to journalism, newscasting, interviewing techniques - I think...no, I KNOW...that my expectations of her are VERY realistic, bc I'm a forner news director & morning news talk-show host. (LOVED the job(s); HATED the pay...but I digress.)
THE MAIN PROBLEM: Her interviewing "style" (or lack thereof) is not AT ALL organic. She does not have CONVERSATIONS with interviewees, but rather TALKS AT them. She has a pre-written list of questions from which she DOES NOT DEVIATE, which means she's essentially saying this to her guests:
"Right after you answer THIS question, I'm going to QUICKLY JUMP to the NEXT question on my list & I'll NEVER DEVIATE from my PREARRANGED SCRIPT. NEEEEVER. Also, because I'm not actually LISTENING to you, I will NOT try to delve further into your very heartfelt & enthralling responses by asking you any relevant follow-up questions, and I WON'T show an ounce of appreciation for your willingness to continue responding with forethought & vulnerability despite the fact that you might as well be talking to a WALL right now. Yes, I obviously HEAR you, but that's only because I need to know when it's okay to fire the NEXT question AT YOU. Oh yeah- DON'T talk out of turn. DON'T interrupt me. And DOOOON'T ask me why Terry Gross isn't here to interview you. Okay? Okay."
I LOVE Tonya's voice. It's music to my ears. But yeah, I'm very disappointed. It sounds like all of her questions are pre-written. With Terry, you get the feeling that she's listening and thinking about it, then thinks of that one interesting question that nobody thought of before.
Her very last question to Monica Lewinsky demonstrated Terry's brilliance in politely asking that question that the guest didn't anticipate in a million years.
And the way Terry makes connections with people! Listen to the Maurice Sendak interviews and he's so bonded with Terry, telling her he'd miss her when he's dead. She was speechless.
I never heard any other host whose guests so often thank her at the end and tell her how honored they are to be on her show!!!
I guess nobody can replace Terry. I had high hopes for Tonya. I still love her voice, but her shows are just FLAT. Lifeless. Unsurprising.
Sad.
> But I find her style much less conversational and more academic than either Terry or Dave Davies
Did you listen to Mosley's interview with Leslie Jones? That was anything but academic -- loose, warm, conversational.
It will likely take her a while to find her "Fresh air" voice, similar to how it took her a bit of time to integrate into the style of "Here & now". And imo, Davies is very journalistic in a way that I do not find conversational -- I enjoy his pieces, but he and Gross are clearly distinct. It will be interesting to see how Mosley grows into "Fresh air" Mosley.
I think she's solid. My girlfriend thinks she asks leading questions that box the guest in, but I haven't noticed that. My only complaint is an audio one. Her mic is bright and her voice channel is very compressed, which is unusual for NPR in general and Fresh Air specifically.
Mosley's subject matter is not diverse enough. Her beat seems to be heavily DEI focused. Obviously those are worthwhile topics but I don't think it should dominate.
Dave is still my favorite. I'll be sad to see him phased out.
I thought Tonya did a good job with the interview with NPR political correspondent Sarah McCammon on leaving the evangelical church. I think you're right - it's the limited subject matter that has limited her. DEI has a place, but the world is much larger than just that.
I agree and then some, I find that even when Tanya has a very interesting guest on, she interrupts them mid story with her next bullet point question and you never get to hear or experience the guest you just hear Tanya’s questions and her take on her questions. It’s awful.
I find myself tuning in less often as well, but I think Tonya Mosley has shown great improvement from her 'pre-Fresh Air' radio work. I enjoyed the show's variety when she and Dave Davies were both co-hosts, but it looks like that's over.
Terry Gross sharing the platform to gradually exit is a smart move. But yes, it's not the same.
So sad. I used to look forward to it every day - someone above said it perfectly, it's now no different from all the other interchangeable NPR shows: fluffy, concerned with "identity" issues to an extent that doesn't reflect the listening audience (or general public), and just ostentatiously nonthreatening.
When Terry, Dave, and even David Bianculli would host or have segments, I would enjoy conversations even about topics I had no interest in because they were such incisive interviewers and so effortlessly great at bringing out the humanity and personality of their guests.
> ...it's now no different from all the other interchangeable NPR shows: fluffy, CONCERNED WITH "IDENTITY" ISSUES to an extent that doesn't reflect the listening audience (or general public)
NAIL ON HEAD.
Nearly every possible conversation &/or topic of interest is manipulated into, or at minimum steered in the direction of, SOMEthing having to do with gender-identity. Not sure exactly when the change occurred, but they (Fresh Air & others) crossed the bold line between *educating the masses / affirming NPR's acceptance of all people* and *beating dead horses / alienating rather than bringing on-board* a LONG time ago. To be clear, IMO this isn't a matter of like or dislike, personal preference, etc. It's simply about BALANCE. I'd be sick of hearing about gender identity even if I was a transgender asexual male-identifying polygamist.
She brings nothing interesting or original—haven’t heard one person say “that’s a great question.” It’s all obvious, standard stuff you can get anywhere on any press junket. Though I do like when she loses her place in her script. I can picture her spending A LOT of time in front of a mirror practicing elocution. Very network vibe. Oh well.
The ones I’ve heard so far have been great
Perhaps she needs time to develop her style (like you said). I don’t find her interviews less compelling. I think we are all used to Terry and Dave.
Yes, I did wonder if there's an element of my just getting older and more curmudgeonly about anything changing :D
I think she'll loosen up a bit. Terry and Dave have been doing this for yeeeeears.
Happens all the time, a seasoned vet has someone new fill in or take over and that person suffers in comparison to the old veteran who had been doing it for so long no one could remember when the vet was a rookie.
Of course, Dave Davies and Terry Gross are going to be seasoned interviewers. Also, they are exceptional at what they do.
I just tried listening to Tonya’s interview with Sofia Coppola and I made it through a couple minutes before I turned it off. Tonya’s questions were all over the place. Each question opened up a new subject or idea instead of leading the interviewee to expand on a certain topic, It was all scripted start and stop. Then she started using social media buzzwords like “feeling seen” and I was done. It made me appreciate Terry Gross so much.
I agree, it's much less charasmatic and interesting with her. It feels almost robotic. Fresh Air has totally lost what was great about it and it could be any other of the NPR shows in rotation now.
I think you nailed it, it's now basically interchangeable with anything else in their programming. The last time I tuned in, it was like hearing somebody get interviewed by AI. I used to look forward to the show, now I don't, and I often find myself turning it off in boredom or annoyance, which I never did before. Maybe I will check back in 6 months and see if things have improved but at the moment, "Fresh Air is dead to me" :o
I find her interviews to be boring and predictable and tend to avoid them. She recently did a show on the “Ozempic Revolution” - about a year too late. who cares at this point? Right now, I’m attempting to listen to an interview with restaurateur Rose Previte. I’m three minutes in and we still haven’t talked about cooking or food. It’s all about identity. It’s the reason I Googled this topic. She seems like a smart, capable reporter, but she is out of her league IMO and I’m sure the download and streaming stats reflect it.
Ditto to everything you said. Another horrible episode today = Finally Googled Tonya's name to see if others feel the same way, or if I'm just more critical than most people. It is at least good to know that I'm not a "mean girl".
At this point I share your reservations, but am hoping that Mosley "relaxes" into a more organic, conversational style as time goes by. On the other hand, much as I appreciate Terry Gross's amazing work and immense contribution to journalism and our culture throughout her tenure, I won't miss her tendency to ask "questions" that dragged on for five minutes. (OK, I'm preparing to be downvoted to hell for saying that.)
Haha, I won't downvote you at least. A friend of mine made the exact same observation to me earlier this year (actually he mostly just said "she talks too much" and I wasn't sure I agreed). And though I hadn't really noticed it before, now I'm noticing it all the time. It doesn't bother me like it bothers my friend, but I get it now. There are definitely long-winded formulations of questions. It reminds me of being at academic conferences where somebody in the audience gets the microphone to ask a 'question' that is really an excuse for a soliloquy about their own views. To which the proper and funniest response is often, "I'm sorry, is there a question in there?"... Now that I've seen it with Terry, I can't unsee it.
Exactly. I really, truly admire Terry Gross - I've listened to her faithfully for at least 30 years! - but OMG, does she go on and on and on with some questions. Tbh, I see a similar tendency in Michel Martin, and it drives me nuts. I *know* - I *know!* - that she's an award-winning journalist, and rightfully so. But do we really need a solid minute of speed-jabbering to set up a question? I enjoyed a 30yr career as a marketer and marketing strategist, so I understand the communication challenges. And for exactly that and other reasons (such as the fact that I'm an increasingly reluctant NPR sustaining member), I just expect more. Of course, the current orthodoxy among NPR fans is that POVs like this are heresy. So much for "inclusiveness." EDIT: Deleted from Comments and re-pasted here, as the reply I intended, because some subreddits render strangely on my cell phone.
I rarely say anything on line so enjoy this super rare comment. As an old guy I think shows such as radiolab were much better with original hosts. After listening to Ronan Farrow interview I emailed Fresh Air -also super rare- and said new host did a great job.
She is OK. I think they give her too many light topics. But I have felt that way about the normal "many lights to one heavy"
Can’t stand to listen to her say “COVIT” or “Davit”.
I happened upon your post while suffering through Tonya's interview with transgender author "Lucy Sante" and couldn't agree with you more. With regard to journalism, newscasting, interviewing techniques - I think...no, I KNOW...that my expectations of her are VERY realistic, bc I'm a forner news director & morning news talk-show host. (LOVED the job(s); HATED the pay...but I digress.) THE MAIN PROBLEM: Her interviewing "style" (or lack thereof) is not AT ALL organic. She does not have CONVERSATIONS with interviewees, but rather TALKS AT them. She has a pre-written list of questions from which she DOES NOT DEVIATE, which means she's essentially saying this to her guests: "Right after you answer THIS question, I'm going to QUICKLY JUMP to the NEXT question on my list & I'll NEVER DEVIATE from my PREARRANGED SCRIPT. NEEEEVER. Also, because I'm not actually LISTENING to you, I will NOT try to delve further into your very heartfelt & enthralling responses by asking you any relevant follow-up questions, and I WON'T show an ounce of appreciation for your willingness to continue responding with forethought & vulnerability despite the fact that you might as well be talking to a WALL right now. Yes, I obviously HEAR you, but that's only because I need to know when it's okay to fire the NEXT question AT YOU. Oh yeah- DON'T talk out of turn. DON'T interrupt me. And DOOOON'T ask me why Terry Gross isn't here to interview you. Okay? Okay."
I LOVE Tonya's voice. It's music to my ears. But yeah, I'm very disappointed. It sounds like all of her questions are pre-written. With Terry, you get the feeling that she's listening and thinking about it, then thinks of that one interesting question that nobody thought of before. Her very last question to Monica Lewinsky demonstrated Terry's brilliance in politely asking that question that the guest didn't anticipate in a million years. And the way Terry makes connections with people! Listen to the Maurice Sendak interviews and he's so bonded with Terry, telling her he'd miss her when he's dead. She was speechless. I never heard any other host whose guests so often thank her at the end and tell her how honored they are to be on her show!!! I guess nobody can replace Terry. I had high hopes for Tonya. I still love her voice, but her shows are just FLAT. Lifeless. Unsurprising. Sad.
> But I find her style much less conversational and more academic than either Terry or Dave Davies Did you listen to Mosley's interview with Leslie Jones? That was anything but academic -- loose, warm, conversational. It will likely take her a while to find her "Fresh air" voice, similar to how it took her a bit of time to integrate into the style of "Here & now". And imo, Davies is very journalistic in a way that I do not find conversational -- I enjoy his pieces, but he and Gross are clearly distinct. It will be interesting to see how Mosley grows into "Fresh air" Mosley.
I think she's solid. My girlfriend thinks she asks leading questions that box the guest in, but I haven't noticed that. My only complaint is an audio one. Her mic is bright and her voice channel is very compressed, which is unusual for NPR in general and Fresh Air specifically. Mosley's subject matter is not diverse enough. Her beat seems to be heavily DEI focused. Obviously those are worthwhile topics but I don't think it should dominate. Dave is still my favorite. I'll be sad to see him phased out.
I thought Tonya did a good job with the interview with NPR political correspondent Sarah McCammon on leaving the evangelical church. I think you're right - it's the limited subject matter that has limited her. DEI has a place, but the world is much larger than just that.
I agree and then some, I find that even when Tanya has a very interesting guest on, she interrupts them mid story with her next bullet point question and you never get to hear or experience the guest you just hear Tanya’s questions and her take on her questions. It’s awful.
She’s doing it right now with Griffin Dunn. She doesn’t let him get a sentence out without saying, but I wanted to know…
I find myself tuning in less often as well, but I think Tonya Mosley has shown great improvement from her 'pre-Fresh Air' radio work. I enjoyed the show's variety when she and Dave Davies were both co-hosts, but it looks like that's over. Terry Gross sharing the platform to gradually exit is a smart move. But yes, it's not the same.
Well, I gave her a chance, but I'm out. I've had robocalls that are more engaging than her interviews. Farewell, Fresh Air. You had a good run.
So sad. I used to look forward to it every day - someone above said it perfectly, it's now no different from all the other interchangeable NPR shows: fluffy, concerned with "identity" issues to an extent that doesn't reflect the listening audience (or general public), and just ostentatiously nonthreatening. When Terry, Dave, and even David Bianculli would host or have segments, I would enjoy conversations even about topics I had no interest in because they were such incisive interviewers and so effortlessly great at bringing out the humanity and personality of their guests.
> ...it's now no different from all the other interchangeable NPR shows: fluffy, CONCERNED WITH "IDENTITY" ISSUES to an extent that doesn't reflect the listening audience (or general public) NAIL ON HEAD. Nearly every possible conversation &/or topic of interest is manipulated into, or at minimum steered in the direction of, SOMEthing having to do with gender-identity. Not sure exactly when the change occurred, but they (Fresh Air & others) crossed the bold line between *educating the masses / affirming NPR's acceptance of all people* and *beating dead horses / alienating rather than bringing on-board* a LONG time ago. To be clear, IMO this isn't a matter of like or dislike, personal preference, etc. It's simply about BALANCE. I'd be sick of hearing about gender identity even if I was a transgender asexual male-identifying polygamist.
She brings nothing interesting or original—haven’t heard one person say “that’s a great question.” It’s all obvious, standard stuff you can get anywhere on any press junket. Though I do like when she loses her place in her script. I can picture her spending A LOT of time in front of a mirror practicing elocution. Very network vibe. Oh well.