Short audio clip extracted from a recording
A
sound bite
or
soundbite
[1]
is a short clip of speech or music extracted from a longer piece of audio, often used to promote or exemplify the full length piece. In the context of
journalism
, a sound bite is characterized by a short phrase or sentence that captures the essence of what the speaker was trying to say, and is used to summarize information and entice the reader or viewer. The term was coined by the
U.S. media
in the 1970s. Since then,
politicians
have increasingly employed sound bites to summarize their positions.
Due to its brevity, the sound bite often overshadows the broader
context
in which it was spoken, and can be misleading or inaccurate. The insertion of sound bites into news broadcasts or documentaries is open to
manipulation
, leading to conflict over
journalistic ethics
.
History
[
edit
]
In the 1960s and 1970s, pressure from
advertisers
on the
American television industry
to create entertaining news material made sound bites central to political coverage. Politicians began to use
PR
techniques to craft self-images and slogans that would resonate with the television-viewing audience and ensure their victory in campaigns.
[2]
The term "sound bite" was coined in the late 1970s, several years before the presidency of
Ronald Reagan
, who was famous for short, memorable phrases like, "
Mr. Gorbachev
,
tear down this wall
!" in reference to the
Berlin Wall
.
[3]
During the
1988 United States presidential election
, candidate
Michael Dukakis
highlighted the prominent role of sound bites and
spin doctors
in political campaigns by running a commercial that mocked contender
George H. W. Bush
's handlers' frustration over the
gaffes
of his vice presidential running-mate
Dan Quayle
.
[4]
Journalism
[
edit
]
In journalism, sound bites are used to summarize the position of the speaker, as well as to increase the interest of the reader or viewer in the piece. In both
print
and
broadcast journalism
, sound bites are conventionally juxtaposed and interspersed with commentary from the journalist to create a
news story
. A balanced news report is expected to contain sound bites representing both sides of the debate.
[5]
This technique, however, can lead to
biased
reporting when a sound bite is selected for
sensationalism
, or is used to promote the point of view of one individual or group over another.
[6]
Impact
[
edit
]
In his book
The Sound Bite Society
, Jeffrey Scheuer argues that the sound bite was the product of
television
's increased power over all forms of communication, and that the resulting trend toward short, catchy snippets of information had a significant negative impact on American political discourse.
[7]
In contrast,
Peggy Noonan
feels that sound bites have acquired a negative connotation but are not inherently negative, and that what we now think of as great historical sound bites—such as "
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself
", the most famous phrase in
Franklin D. Roosevelt
's first
Inaugural Address
—were examples of eloquent speakers unselfconsciously and "simply trying in words to capture the essence of the thought they wished to communicate."
[8]
The increased use of sound bites in news media has been criticized, and has led to discussions on
journalistic
and
media ethics
.
[9]
According to the
Code of Ethics
of the
Society of Professional Journalists
, journalists should "make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context."
[10]
Despite this criticism, sound bites are widely employed by businesses, trade groups, labor unions and politicians. Senator
Jim DeMint
readily admitted this when he said, "There’s a reason why most politicians talk in sanitized sound bites: Once you get out of that, you’re opening yourself up to get attacked."
[11]
Examples
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Look up
sound bite
in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.