The Technological Age of Court Reporting

\nOver the years, the equipment used by stenographers has gone through many transformations. From inkwells to stenograph machines, and more recently computer-aided transcription (also known at CAT software), a stenographer’s toolbox looks very different today than it did hundreds of years ago. As we enter a new age of stenography, it has become clear that the days of simple note-taking are over. Stenographers are officially classified as information technology professionals.\n\nWhile some may see the advancements in technology as a threat to the longevity of the court reporting profession, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact is, technology has only served to enhance the incredible skills of stenographers by taking their abilities to new places, both in and out of the court room.\n

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART)

\nOne of the most exciting technological advancements in court reporting is the introduction of communication access realtime translation (CART), also known as open captioning or CART captioning. This system allows stenographers to instantly convert speech into text using special software than can analyze the stenographers’ key sequence and form words on a screen in real time. Such technology has made a remarkable impact on the ability of stenographers to speed up the translation process and open the doors to a much wider array of opportunities in the field of closed captioning and broadcasting.\n

Live Broadcasting

\nSince The Communications Act of 2003, which put a legal requirement on all TV channels to provide subtitles, the number of subtitled programs has grown over the past decade, leading to an increased demand for broadcast captioners and expanding the number of opportunities for stenographers in live broadcasting for a wide variety of programs, such as live interviews, sporting events, press conferences and more.\n

Web Stenographers

\nThe Internet has led to a burgeoning need for web casting reporters. These stenographers connect remotely with a computer system to feed their text translations (often via Skype) to anywhere in the world. We stenographers are becoming central to providing instant text for seminars, meetings and symposia and play a vital role in improving the experience for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.\n\nAlthough advancements in technology has improved voice recognition software as well, there is still no known replacement for the role of a qualified realtime stenographer. There are too many linguistic anomalies that exist in everyday language, such as multiple speakers, heavy accents and interpretations that only a human could interpret. Court reporters that embrace advancements in technology and use the latest stenographic equipment to their advantage will discover a long and diverse career ahead of them.\n

Used Professional Steno Machines 1-800-323-4247

\nWhen considering investing in a court reporting machine, be sure to select a model (professional court reporting shorthand machine or student court reporting shorthand machine), which meets your particular needs. Also, go with a reputable manufacturer who stands behind their product and has been producing court reporting machines for many years.\n

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