Previously celebrated as one of the core skills of journalists, secretaries and other jobs which require quick and accurate transcription of the spoken word, shorthand is one of the fields of expertise that seems to lose more and more momentum.
This transcription technique, which looks like hieroglyphics to the untaught and once was a must to find work in the above mentioned fields, is now only rarely taught at higher institutions that educate the new generation of journalists. It is also is no longer requested by all potential employers.
The market is flooded with different types of voice recording devices, including apps for the iPad or iPhone which sell at less than £1. Voice recorders are available in hundreds of forms, colours, price ranges and can be purchased literally everywhere. But is shorthand really a dead skill?
‘Shorthand still the reality’
Can something that has enjoyed such high level of respect and dependency really become obsolete? It would not be the first time a once highly appreciated skill turned first old-school, then a rarity and then became extinct. Think of Morse coding, for example. It was once celebrated as an irreplaceable messaging tool and has now been completely replaced by modern ways of communication.
For Guy Toyn, shorthand is still the reality. He is the founder of Court News UK – a news agency which specialises in court reporting – and is located in the basement of the old Bailey, the most famous criminal court in the world. He would not think of taking on an intern or employee who does not master the skill.
In court, any kind of recording device, including mobiles, are strictly forbidden. They have to be deposited at corner shops nearby for horrendous fees. As new technologies are out of reach and taking longhand notes during trials would lead to a tremendous risk of errors which could potentially lead to contempt of court and therefore fines or even jail sentences, court reporters still cannot do without shorthand.
‘Essential for print and online journalists’
Helen Briggs, the online health editor of the BBC, commands the skill too and stresses that it is “an essential skill for online and print journalists” still today. She does not want to comment on the fact that many universities do not teach shorthand anymore, but points out that it is not common for broadcast journalists to need the skill.
During her job interview, the BBC did not want to know if she mastered the skill because, as she points out, in the BBC, many employees enter through a variety of routes.
Ms Briggs also owns a voice recorder as a backup device and tells me that the BBC prepares to replace voice recorders with iPhone apps in the near future.
Alexia Dellner, a journalism post-graduate student, decided to take evening classes to learn shorthand outside of university at her own expense. “It is definitely money well spent”, she says. “I think that, in the current job market, anything I can do to make me stand out a little is only a good thing!”
So when you face the question whether to learn shorthand, which is indeed a strenuous task and takes time and practise, the question you have to ask yourself is in which field of journalism you want to work in.
The question is – in which field do you want to work?
Journalists who want to work in a high turn around atmosphere, for example those who attend news conferences frequently and have to send their copy to their employers as quickly as possible to beat the competition, still heavily rely on the skill.
They simply do not have time to listen to a tape recording after the event to get the facts right. Time is money in certain fields and news agencies heavily rely on quick and efficient writers. Also, shorthand notes can count as legal evidence.
Even if you work in a monthly publication where you have the time to listen back to recordings of interviews or conferences, shorthand still makes work easier, even though it is not a must anymore.
Voice recorders certainly make life more convenient for journalists in many ways, but they have not replaced the ancient skill of shorthand altogether. Although not all employers request the skill anymore, it certainly does open doors to a wider job market.
Photo by x-ray delta one
Thoughts & Musings 