sound bite

plural sound bites · alternative soundbite · alternative misspelling soundbyte

1. broadcastingAn 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.

   1 more example

   The dumbing down of America is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30-second sound bites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudo-science and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance.

   1995, Carl Sagan, “Science and Hope”, in The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, 1st edition, New York: Random House, →ISBN, pages 25–26

   Synonyms: sound cut

2. derogatoryoftenA one-liner deliberately produced for this purpose; a statement specifically intended to be punchy and memorable.

   President Obama disdains sound bites, and he does not have Bill Clinton’s talent for reducing the abstruse to aperçus.

   2009 February 22, Maureen Dowd, “Dark Dark Dark”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   2 more examples

   The ground offensive against Iraq ended after 100 hours, partly out of concern that American troops not occupy an Arab capital, partly because Arab allies feared the disintegration of Iraq and partly because a “100-hour war” made a good sound bite.

   2006 December 30, Neil MacFarquhar, “Saddam Hussein, Defiant Dictator Who Ruled Iraq With Violence and Fear, Dies”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   However, he bemoaned the era of rehearsed soundbites and "Prime Minister's Insult Time", which he said have diminished parliament.

   2013 October 31, Rowena Mason, “Lord Steel criticises culture of spin and tweeting in modern politics”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

3. Synonym of sound clip.

   Synonyms: sound clip