For most journalists out there, the idea of manually transcribing various interviews into something readable and error-free can be a challenging and generally time-consuming process. While there are probably plenty of things journalists love about their job, manual transcription is likely not one of them. With captured video and audio, having to do the job yourself can take a lot of time, but it can also be hard to trust automated software.
Fortunately, there have been plenty of strides made in digital transcription software that make it quite easy for both companies and journalists alike to fully streamline the process without worry. Here are just some of the benefits of digital transcription for journalists, and why it’s never a bad idea to use in any situation.
The freedom to listen is something journalists do not take lightly
Contents
When an interview, lecture, or anything else requires manual transcription, most journalists are forced to listen and hand-write what they’re saying, but not listen in a way that they develop an understanding. It is only after when they read what they’ve written that they start to understand what the lecture or interview answers were about.
The difference between manual and automatic transcription with the help of software is night and day, as journalists can take in what the meeting is about and not have such a hard time catching up to what they’re saying. It allows journalists to write more accurate reports and provide quality content.
The clock is ticking
A journalist’s work is never done, and there’s always something to write and finish. The deadlines are plentiful, and the pressure can be downright overwhelming — especially if you have to worry about manual transcription. Even if you might get paid extra for the effort, manual transcription is rarely worth it, as you will likely end up exhausted.
As stated above, it’s time-consuming and a frustrating task, especially if you already have so many other things on your plate. Not to mention, the odds of ending up with a few typos when you’re already stressed is rather high. For journalists, anything that saves time is a worthy investment, and proper transcription software can help save quite a lot of time.
Relying on notes has never been easier
In most interviews, there will likely be follow-up questions that most journalists have to deal with. These follow-up questions depend entirely on the quality of the written transcript, which means an accurate record allows journalists to focus on parts of the interview. Most types of transcription software also make it much easier to search for the notes you need, which makes it doubly useful for journalists.
Some people think that digital transcription software takes away from what journalists can do, but you’ll rarely find journalists happy about dealing with manual transcription. It’s ideal to let journalists focus on what they do best by making use of automatic transcription to deal with the details. Accurate transcription is more accessible than ever before, which is why journalists should make use of it every chance they get!