Final answer:
Sound bites are succinct reports typically lasting 30 to 45 seconds, and their use in political campaigns has increased due to their brevity and effectiveness in delivering messages to audiences with short attention spans.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sound bites are snappy reports that are designed to be aired within short time frames such as 30 or 45 seconds. Studies have shown that these sound bites have become increasingly shorter over the years. The average length during the 1968 election for a Richard Nixon sound bite was 42.3 seconds, while sound bites had decreased to just eight seconds by the 2004 election. Moreover, the content of these bites often includes attacks on opponents and less frequently provides information about the candidate's issues or events. Additionally, political campaign strategies often entail preparing messages that can be delivered as "30-second sound bites" and can easily be converted to slogans for promotional materials. The rise of such tactics aligns with the efficiency of delivering messages and the changing attention spans of audiences, which tend to be shorter in the age of social media and rapid information consumption.