People from literate families generally are taught not to use filler words.
A reporter who quotes filler words is stealing space from other writers’ stories.
Not all who use filler words are dogs** dumb. I watched two intelligent mid-sized city TV newsmen, one with decades of experience, pause, stutter, and insert fillers after the murders of six Chattanooga servicemen. Nothing in that corrupt but quiet city had prepared them for such reporting. No blame should be assigned for their verbal indecision. Odds are that New York and New Jersey reporters did the same on 9/11, and to hell with anyone who would quote an “Umm…” on these occasions.
