Many court reporters use stenograph machines to quickly and accurately record testimony, and the devices are also used by students to take notes, and closed captioners who want to be able to quickly write captions for live broadcasts. A high quality stenograph machine is capable of networking with a computer and a microphone array, and such machines can be extremely expensive.
Stenography is a special type of shorthand which operates phonetically. This means that a stenographic transcript is actually unique to the person who generated it, as each person hears and interprets sounds slightly differently. Typically, a stenograph machine is used to transcribe information such as testimony, and then the stenotype clerk reads over the transcript and generates a full version which can be read by anyone.
Each individual court reporter may use a variety of conventions to represent a homonym or another ambiguous word. Usually, experienced stenographers will use their own system of abbreviations, particularly for phrases and words that are specific for their work.
In former days, what a stenographer had typed onto the machine would be printed to a narrow roll of paper tape. Nowadays the translation is computerized and modern-day stenographic machines are providing translations at the same time.
The court reporter can have their own specific symbols for this entire phrase to save themselves some more time. The stenotype transcript may seem completely meaningful to a trained stenographer. But to the lawyer, jury, or litigants at court, or to the medical practitioner using the transcription services, it looks like gibberish.
It has to be translated into the common tongue before it can be used further. So the transcript needs to be translated into English. In the earlier days, a stenographer was required to translate their own script to English and a stenographer, called the scopist, would check if the translation was correct.
The court reporters usually have a dictionary of their own based on their steno theory. Modern-day stenotype machines, however, have their own translation software that can translate the script in real time. Real-time translation helps them send an instantaneous feed to all parties involved in the proceedings. With the advancements in technology we have witnessed, it may seem like stenography is a replaceable skill.
There are AI tools and speech recognition software that can transcribe speech to text. For instance, a digital system relies on clear and audible speech. The microphone in the courtroom often tends to distort the speech by producing static, buzzing sounds.
Or the speaker becomes inaudible when they move a little farther from the microphone. In such cases, the AI transcription tool may produce inaccurate transcripts and in court cases or medical transcription with high stakes, this can have a very high impact. There is a long way to go before they can match the accuracy and IQ that a trained stenographer brings to the table. Stenography is a skill that not many people have been able to master. The average age of stenographers is well into their fifties, and in the next ten years, the retirement wave is expected to create a shortage of stenographers.
This makes stenography a very viable career even as the industry becomes increasingly digital. As a one-stop-shop for legal support services, NAEGELI provides highly skilled court reporters, after-the-matter transcription services, and cutting-edge technology for everything from transcription to videoconferencing. Our stenographers are extremely vetted and ready to aid in any court or legal proceeding, with accuracy exceeding industry expectations. For stenographer services or inquiry for work as a court reporter, contact us today!
Schedule Now. What Is A Stenographer? What Does Stenographer Mean? How Does Stenography Work? Naegeli Court Reporting As a one-stop-shop for legal support services, NAEGELI provides highly skilled court reporters, after-the-matter transcription services, and cutting-edge technology for everything from transcription to videoconferencing. Online Bill Pay Schedule.
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