With the introduction of any new form of technology comes some common misinformation. In the early 90’s, there was a report released about cell phone usage at gas stations, claiming that it caused explosions. This report was later proven false in 2003 by Shell Oil, who stated that cell phones did not emit a strong enough static charge to ignite the fuel.
Perhaps not so dangerous, digital reporting has its misconceptions as well. Below are a few of these common falsities.
Digital recording equipment can’t catch every word.
There comes a time in a proceeding where what’s being said can be missed by someone shuffling papers, coughing, or sneezing. This can be quite an obstacle for the person trying to capture the record. There’s been some speculation that using an audio recorder isn’t the best option for this particular problem, but that isn’t necessarily true.
Digital reporting requires the use of a multi-track audio system, which places each participant on a different channel. If someone were to cough in the proceeding, for example, their channel could be muted by the transcriptionist and what was said could be heard on any of the other three channels. The same goes for two people talking at once. Each channel could be listened to individually so that the information stated would be heard from both parties.This isn’t your average standalone tape recorder. Digital reporters are specially equipped with broadcast quality field recorders to better capture the record.So easy, a caveman could do it.
All you need to do is push the ‘record’ button. This type of thinking has many reporters worried about the future of court reporting and its credibility. No need to worry. There are certain skills and certifications in place to ensure that what’s captured digitally is just as credible as what’s being captured by a stenographer.In 2003, the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers, AAERT, developed a certification program for digital reporting. All transcriptionists used at Accurate Reporting & Transcript Services, Inc. have been AAERT certified, having passed both the written and practical examinations. To be certified, candidates must have at least two years in the court reporting or transcription industry, possess a high school diploma and be a notary public. Currently more than 90% of certifications given by the AAERT are digital.Certain skills are required of digital reporters, including excellent listening skills, a good knowledge of English grammar and awareness of correct spellings of names, places and events discussed in the proceeding. The ability to moderate the proceeding is also important, ensuring that nothing gets out of hand during testimony and everyone is kept on track.Fun Fact: Did you know that the state of Florida doesn’t require a court reporter to be certified? That means that any Joe off of the street can pick up a used steno machine and call themselves a court reporter.
Less money for the local economy.
Once the proceeding is recorded, it gets shipped off to a transcription company overseas, right? Wrong. Here at Accurate Reporting & Transcript Services, Inc., we value our local economy. That’s why our audio files go to transcriptionists in the area. When the transcript is ordered, the audio file is sent to certified transcriptionists, who are almost always court reporters, themselves. Once completed, we review the transcript for formatting and accuracy before we send it to our clients. Our goal is to keep our business local, making sure that the money stays in Florida and that technology isn’t taking away jobs from our local economy.
Just like the misconceptions that a cell phone could crash a plane or start a fire, digital reporting has its misunderstandings as well. The important thing is to be knowledgeable. Choose the best option that fits your needs, but do your research first. And to squash a couple of other misconceptions while we’re at it, the web is not the same thing as the Internet, and Macs CAN get viruses too (although it is extremely rare).
