If you’ve missed Jamie Dupree on the radio, you’re not alone. Jim Galloway explained in his column yesterday that Dupree, who does political news for WSB radio out of Washington DC, is suffering from “muscle tension dysphonia” in his larynx. Interviewed by email, Dupree told Galloway “Basically, the muscles in my larynx aren’t working together right now. No one knows why. I had a Botox shot back in September, but it didn’t help. I’m going to try again after Thanksgiving. And yes, that needle is long. I just try to look away. My friends like to joke that my neck has no wrinkles now.”
Just because the doctors can name a condition doesn’t mean they understand it, and as scary as anyone’s loss of voice is, it’s doubly so and ironic when it happens to a man who supports his family with his voice.
When I listened to WSB, I always looked forward to hearing Dupree -his unflappable tone, his middle-of-the-road style, his constant refusal to respond to partisan goading by Hannity or Erickson- he’s the only reporter I can think of who does everything he can to be neutral, stick to just the facts, and keep his own opinion out of the story. You can still find his work on Twitter and on his blog for the AJC.
But we could use a lot more of Dupree’s kind of journalism right now, so if you’ve got any you can spare, please send some hopes and prayers Jamie’s way for a speedy recovery and a full return to the airwaves.