It's all about Sound Bites

© Copyright 1999, Wilson Group Communications, Inc

When dealing with the news media - particularly television - what ends up on the air or in print is most often just a fragment of your overall interview.

It's called a quote, nugget or a "sound bite," but whatever you call it, it's like taking a snapshot of a motion picture to help tell people what the movie is all about. It doesn't always capture everything you wanted to say.

It's challenging. It's troublesome. It's frustrating. But, in today's world, when it comes to media interviews, more and more, it's all about sound bites.

The sound bite can carry your message....or bury it. It depends a lot on you.

First, you have to know your message. What precisely is it that you want to get across in the interview? Next: how do you get that message across in 8-10 seconds?

Although it may take work to communicate a message in a sentence or two, it can be done. Cut away the excess verbiage. Stick to the essentials. Stay away from non-essential details. Keep it simple. Don't make things more complex than they have to be.

So what makes a sound bite a sound bite?

Sound bites normally run about 10 seconds, although there is no strict rule on that. They can be shorter, or longer. It depends on the subject matter and how good they are.

Sound bites often come at the end of an interview. Why? Because you've finally given the reporter the quotable quote he or she was looking for.

If you're not quotable, you won't be quoted - at least not directly. That can contribute to a misquote or being quoted out of context.

Sound bites have to stand on their own two feet. They have to be complete thoughts or sentences. The reporter's question is seldom used in a newspaper story and rarely in a television or radio report.

Sound bites cannot - or should not - be littered with unnecessary verbiage such as: "as I said before." Remember: the reader or viewer is only seeing a snapshot of the interview. They don't know what you said previously.

Sound bites have to be delivered with conviction. Put some life into it! People don't want to hear boring sound bites or those delivered with no animation. Believe what you say!

And don't over rehearse or memorize a sound bite. It will sound staged. Memorize your message, but never your quotes. Know your message. Be yourself. Keep your answers short and your sound bites will take care of themselves.