How chyrons took on a life of their own

They’ve become a facet of almost every news broadcast, as familiar as the anchor sitting behind a desk. Within moments of the start of a newscast or panel discussion, the info-billboards on the lower third of the TV screen begin their silent unfurling. The on-screen banners known as chyrons (kai-rahns) were once flat, artless labels that were about as exciting as an airport arrival-and-departure board. But in an era of shrinking viewer attention spans, chyrons seem almost to have come to life and achieved self-awareness. Now chyrons not only tell viewers what the news is, they tell them what to make of it.