Happy talk
Encyclopedia
Happy talk, also called banter, is the additional and often meaningless commentary interspersed into news
programs by news anchors and others on set
. It may consist of simple joke
s or simply a modified wording in asking a question of another reporter. For instance, instead of a simple handoff to a sportscaster, an anchor might say, "So, Dave, what the heck happened out on that field today? Is our team going down the tubes?" "Happy talk" may also refer to a format of news which encourages such commentary.
Happy talk has been derided by some who prefer a more "traditional" and staid newscast, though it has been happening in some places since the early days of broadcasting
. Many marketing experts believe that it increases viewership , and can therefore provide a financial boost to a local station, but it can also backfire—some newscasters are not comfortable with happy talk and fail in their attempts to do it, and some anchor teams may not have the chemistry or working relationship to be able to pull it off believably.
Happy Talk was created by Al Primo
, who also created the Eyewitness News
format.
Happy Talk was satirized by the Firesign Theater in their 1974 album Everything You Know Is Wrong
. The "Where It's Happy" news team of Harold Hiphugger and Ray Hamburger also appear on Boom Dot Bust
and Give Me Immortality or Give Me Death
.
, Don't Make Me Think
, Steve Krug identifies a kind of writing where website authors eagerly share unnecessary information about their own website. Happy talk consists of things such as:
Krug says that those who write happy talk do so under the misconception that visitors to the site will find it interesting, but visitors actually want to save time and get things done.
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
programs by news anchors and others on set
Set construction
Set construction is the process by which a set designer works in collaboration with the director of a production to create the set for a theatrical, film or television production...
. It may consist of simple joke
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
s or simply a modified wording in asking a question of another reporter. For instance, instead of a simple handoff to a sportscaster, an anchor might say, "So, Dave, what the heck happened out on that field today? Is our team going down the tubes?" "Happy talk" may also refer to a format of news which encourages such commentary.
Happy talk has been derided by some who prefer a more "traditional" and staid newscast, though it has been happening in some places since the early days of broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
. Many marketing experts believe that it increases viewership , and can therefore provide a financial boost to a local station, but it can also backfire—some newscasters are not comfortable with happy talk and fail in their attempts to do it, and some anchor teams may not have the chemistry or working relationship to be able to pull it off believably.
Happy Talk was created by Al Primo
Al Primo
Albert T. Primo is a television news executive who was credited with creating the Eyewitness News format.-Biography:He was born in 1937 and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, who also created the Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News is a style of news broadcasting used by local television stations in different markets across the United States. It refers to a particular style of television newscast with an emphasis on visual elements and action video...
format.
Happy Talk was satirized by the Firesign Theater in their 1974 album Everything You Know Is Wrong
Everything You Know Is Wrong
Everything You Know Is Wrong is a comedy album by the Firesign Theatre released in October 1974 on Columbia Records.-Detailed track information and commentary:...
. The "Where It's Happy" news team of Harold Hiphugger and Ray Hamburger also appear on Boom Dot Bust
Boom Dot Bust
Boom Dot Bust is a comedy album recorded by The Firesign Theatre and released in 1999 on Rhino Records. It was a follow-up to the highly praised Give Me Immortality or Give Me Death from the previous year, continuing a brief resurgence of the foursome's legendary success from 1968-75.It chronicles...
and Give Me Immortality or Give Me Death
Give Me Immortality or Give Me Death
Give Me Immortality or Give Me Death is a comedy album by The Firesign Theatre that was released in 1998 on Rhino Records.-Synopsis:The album takes the form of a fictional radio broadcast on the night of December 31, 1999...
.
Online
In the popular book on web usabilityWeb usability
Web usability is the application of usability in those domains where web browsing can be considered as a general paradigm for constructing a GUI.-General:...
, Don't Make Me Think
Don't Make Me Think
Don't Make Me Think is a book by Steve Krug about human-computer interaction and web usability. The book's premise is that a good software program or web site should let users accomplish their intended tasks as easily and directly as possible...
, Steve Krug identifies a kind of writing where website authors eagerly share unnecessary information about their own website. Happy talk consists of things such as:
- welcoming messages
- details of the process of creating the website such as how long it took
- information about the design of the website such as rationale
- superfluous instructional advice
Krug says that those who write happy talk do so under the misconception that visitors to the site will find it interesting, but visitors actually want to save time and get things done.