Digital Recordings vs. Court Reporting

You might have recently sent a text that you used the voice-to-text feature to “write” while driving to work. This type of voice recording technology is just another example of how technology has simplified our lives. Still, many are wary about advances in technology that could potentially make jobs extinct. Voice recording could, for example, cut down on the need for people like court reporters.

Before you worry that traditional court reporting in Phoenix, AZ has had its day, check out a few reasons why it’s likely that court reporters don’t need to fear that they’ll be phased out by voice recording:

• The chaos of a courtroom: Your phone may accurately reflect your speech in a text or email, but imagine how much harder it would be to capture what’s happening in a courtroom. During trials, people speak over each other in confusing ways, or might speak so softly or with such a thick accent that the technology can’t catch the words. A court reporter can handle these conditions better by following who’s speaking or even reading the lips of a speaker while typing notes to ensure they’re getting an accurate recording. They can also stop proceedings for a second to ask a witness or lawyer to repeat themselves if necessary. At this point, voice recording technology can’t do that.
• Similar costs: The loss of a job field can happen when technology is developed that does the task more inexpensively than an individual human can do it. Though people assume that voice recording technology is cheaper than the salary of a court reporter, their view is often short-sighted. It is incredibly expensive to purchase software for recording such complex proceedings. On top of this, courts or law firms would need to purchase digital cloud storage for the recordings and have an IT professional on hand to deal with any problems that come up. Though it might seem cheaper, in reality it isn’t.
• A court reporter’s depth of knowledge: Another key aspect of court reporting is marking up the text and highlighting different code text in the transcript. Court reporters rely on a specialized field of knowledge to do this, one that voice recording technology lacks.
• Court reporters can adapt: Court reporters have proven that they can adapt to technological change by incorporating new technology into their work. Many court reporters offer a live feed of their transcripts, which can be helpful to attorneys and other parties.

If you’re interested in court reporting in Phoenix, AZ, you’ll want to work with the best company around. Bartelt | Nix Reporting, LLC has nearly half a century of experience in the field, and has gained the local community’s trust due to our dedication to providing thorough, precise transcripts.

On top of court reporting, Bartelt | Nix Reporting, LLC offers a range of services, including videography, virtual depositions and video conferencing.  Our trained legal staff is here to assist you no matter what your needs may be. Call today for more information or to arrange a consultation!

Categorised in: Court Reporting

This post was written by Writer