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Happy talk, also called banter, is the additional and often meaningless commentary interspersed into television news programs by and others on set construction.
It may consist of simple or simply a modified wording in asking a question of another reporter. For instance, instead of a simple handoff to a , an anchor might say, "So, Erin, 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. HAPPY TALK HAPPILY NOT A LOCAL FIXTURE - Sun Sentinel Employing it can 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. Must newscasters use happy talk and personality to attract viewers? - Deseret News
Former CBS correspendent Fred Graham titled his 1990 autobiography Happy Talk: Confessions of a TV Newsman. Happy Talk: Confessions of a TV Newsman|C-SPAN.org
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.
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