Final answer:
A soundbite is a short extract from a speech or interview used in media to quickly convey a story or idea. The use of soundbites has grown, with their average length in political coverage decreasing from over 40 seconds in 1968 to just eight seconds in 2004.
Step-by-step explanation:
The audio term for an extract from a recorded interview that summarizes a story in just a few seconds is A) Soundbite. Soundbites are brief, memorable clips from speeches or interviews that encapsulate a larger point or idea. Over the years, the length of soundbites used in media coverage has significantly decreased. For instance, during the 1968 election, the average soundbite for Richard Nixon was 42.3 seconds, whereas by the 2004 election, soundbites had diminished to an average of just eight seconds. Often, these clips are focused on attacks on opponents rather than substantive information about a candidate's platform or positions.