The document provides tips for selecting effective soundbites for interviews. It recommends that soundbites be clear, authentic, subjective, and passionate. Soundbites should convey a complete thought and keep the audience's attention, while running between 5-15 seconds. Interviewers should ask the right questions to elicit noteworthy and distinctive quotes, and avoid long or factually inaccurate responses. The biggest mistakes are letting soundbites run too long, choosing predictable bites that offer nothing new, or having responses that seem rehearsed rather than authentic.

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SOLID
SOUNDBITES
JCM 331

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THE BIG INTERVIEW– ASKING THE
RIGHT QUESTIONS

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Northam bite 1
z

 1:15-1:25 Right now
Virginia needs someone
that can heal. There’s no
better person to do that
than a doctor Virginia also
needs someone who is
strong, who has empathy
and who has a moral
compass” (10 secs)

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Northam bite 2
(on Lt Gov Fairfax)

 “I want the truth to come
out. I certainly support an
investigation and again
these accusations are very
serious and we need to get
to the bottom of them”
 1:19-1:28

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INSIGHT FROM YOUR TEXT
ON SOUNDBITES
 Soundbites should be clear
 Good soundbites sound authentic
 The best soundbites are subjective and provide insight
 “Great soundbites have passion”
 Remember the “12 second rule” (If it takes longer than 12
seconds, the bite has to be riveting)
 A soundbite should convey a complete thought
 A soundbite should keep audience’s attention

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Tips to Remember when
choosing soundbites
 Use soundbites for opinions,
ideas and emotion
 Bites should run 5-15
seconds long
 Pick a soundbite that says
something significant, unique,
distinctive or noteworthy
 Avoid using soundbites where
subject of your interview says
something factually
inaccurate
 MAKE SURE what is said is
factually correct

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BIGGEST BEGINNER MISTAKES
WHEN IT COMES TO SOUNDBITES
 Let soundbites run too long
 Select predictable, boring bites that tell us nothing new
 Soundbites are rehearsed and appear to be a source (i.e. a friend or
roommate )reciting lines or reading from a script
 Don’t ask the RIGHT QUESTIONS to get useable soundbites