What Is a Sound Bite?

One of the common misconceptions I hear from people not used to doing media interviews is the lack of understanding about what most reporters want from an interview. In most cases all they’re after is a short sound bite. It may only be a few seconds in length, but it's something short and memorable and fits well within the story on television or radio, or a quote in the newspaper.

It’s quite common for a television reporter to do a four minute interview and only use a four second sound bite in their on air story. This means that 99% of the interview you do won’t be used, unless of course it’s a live interview then all of it is being used. However the majority of interviews are recorded and a reporter will select the best portion(s) of the interview to use. A phrase or sentence that you may not think is very important could be exactly what the reporter is looking for to fit in to his or her story.

Some may think of this as shallow, feeling a reporter shouldn't do a long interview and then only take a four-second sound bite from it. While I understand their frustration, keep in mind the reporter is trying to find something from the interview that will sum up what the person has said, or will bring their thoughts to life in just a few words.

The trick is to think about this when preparing for an interview and give the reporter the sound bite you want to deliver. If you understand this is what the reporter is looking for, think of the best way to get your message across and do it in a few words. This gives you a better chance to control the message. Delivering a great sound bite will make you more effective as a communicator.

Another tip is, when you’re finished dropping your sound bite make sure you pause. This can provide an easy edit point for the media outlet, especially if it’s a radio or TV interview.

I can’t tell you want to say for your sound bite because every story is different, but think of a colourful way to describe your thoughts and make sure you include that in your interview and that the phrase stands out.

Here’s an example. Let’s say you are taking a position against the government allowing people to get better services at a recreational facility if they pay more for those services. Your sound bite may be “We don’t think people in this city should be forced to pay to play to get a service they already pay for in their taxes.” I can almost guarantee the reporter will be happy to use that sound site because of the “pay to play” phrase in it.

Decide what sound bite works for you, include it in your comments and chances are it will get used by several media outlets.

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