Comments: Comedy central, linguistics field station
Uptalk seems designed to make listeners pay attention by sounding like the speaker is asking for input from the listener now or soon. I have been noticing it more and more when someone is giving a report that they want others to pay attention to in a conference call. Parts of the report that the presenters are trying to slide by are generally delivered in a casual tone and rhythm that doesn't prick up the ears like uptalk. This casual tone is similar to the cross talk tone used to negotiate later meetings or ask and deliver clarification that is really clarification and not a staged interruption to get attention. The lilt on questions in those side conversations is minor compared to the uptalk reports and sometimes entirely absent. The uptalk report style seems to be replacing a more measured and drier tone used for reports previously although some speakers still use that tone. Others, especially when reciting a report that is customary, fall into a sing song pattern; the report along with the call to make the report and the acknowledgement that the report has been receive has become to them a litany.
Listening to large conference calls like this is a lot more interesting than my more normal listening pattern.