Sound bite
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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A soundbite is an extract from a speech or interview used as edited into a news or other broadcast; an interview clip, especially seen as particularly expressive or pithy. It can also refer to a one-liner deliberately produced for this purpose; a statement specifically intended to be punchy and memorable.
History
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. The term "sound bite" was coined in the 1980s, during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, who was famous for short, memorable phrases like, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" in reference to the increasing social demand to remove the Berlin Wall.
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.
See also
- Aphorism
- Buzzword
- Concision (media studies)
- Gotcha journalism
- Media clip
- Slogan
- Spin (public relations)
- Video clip
