Reston, Va., Feb. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 2023 Court Reporting & Captioning Week celebration being observed Feb. 4-11 is in full swing. The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, captioners, and legal videographers, takes this opportunity to raise public awareness that stenographic court reporters and captioners provide the gold standard for producing an accurate record of the spoken word into text.
Whether in the courtroom, a captioning environment, or the deposition room, capturing and preserving an accurate record of proceedings is priceless.
In a court environment, an accurate record ensures a judge has access to the information about previous proceedings and appellate courts have a solid basis upon which to make their decisions.
In a captioning environment, accuracy ensures all participants have full access to the dialogue or presentation - a critical need particularly in times of emergencies.
In the deposition environment, where the purpose of the proceedings is to produce a reliable record, litigators must have an accurate rendition to evaluate their case for settlement and trial preparation.
Both traditionally and technologically, these proceedings are faithfully reported by a live stenographic court reporter using a steno machine to capture the spoken word, convert it to text for their own use or public display, and preserve an accurate record. With the lure of a cheaper alternative, some consumers have turned to the use of methods that all too often fall short in capturing and preserving an accurate record.
Below are some important factors to share with the public regarding the differences between relying on the record produced by a live stenographic court reporter and other methods.
Qualified stenographic court reporters:
- Undergo years of specialized training, completing courses in court, deposition, and captioning procedures, as well as English, legal, and medical terminology
- Make a concurrent record of proceedings, with multiple backups, from start to finish
- Are required to abide by laws, professional ethics codes, and court rules, including maintaining a chain of custody of the record
- Achieve advanced certifications and complete continuing education to keep current with the latest technology, best practice, and industry standards
- Produce the highest quality captions available to allow for the most complete access possible
- Differentiate between on- and off- the record discussions, keeping active and ongoing record consciousness of the record in the areas of simultaneous speech, equipment failure, inaudible speech, in order to manage the record’s ultimate accuracy
- Offer speech-to-text realtime translation, the most advanced technology to provide readable text immediately
- Can provide instantaneous readbacks, rough drafts, expedited, and/or same-day certified transcripts
Compare those striking abilities with methods that: send records to far-flung, insecure and multiple reaches for anonymous transcription; cannot guarantee security from tampering; employ transcribers who were not present and have no knowledge of speakers, context, or the need for security of information; and are rife with the vulnerabilities of equipment failure and lost records, which often go unnoticed for extended periods of time.
Stenographic court reporters and captioners are the most modern and secure technology available to capture the spoken word and translate it into written text in real time. These professionals work in the courtroom reporting legal cases and depositions, provide live captioning of events, and assist members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities by providing computerized access to real-time translation of information, entertainment, educational opportunities, and more.
Court reporting and captioning offer a career that: is on the cutting edge of technology; offers the opportunity to work at home, in a formal setting, or abroad; excels in helping others; is readily translatable to fast keyboarders and gamers. If any of these apply to you, this is your dream career path.
The NCRA A to Z® Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program is a free online eight-week introductory course that lets participants see if a career in court reporting or captioning would be a good choice for them. The program is an introductory course in stenographic theory and provides participants with the opportunity to learn the basics of writing on a steno machine. There is no charge to take the course, but participants are required to have access to a steno machine or an iPad they can use to download an iStenoPad app.
To arrange an interview with a working court reporter, captioner, or a current court reporting student, or to learn more about the lucrative and flexible court reporting or captioning professions and the many job opportunities currently available, contact pr@ncra.org.
The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) has been internationally recognized for promoting excellence among those who capture and convert the spoken word to text for more than 100 years. NCRA is committed to supporting its more than 12,000 members in achieving the highest level of professional expertise with educational opportunities and industry-recognized court reporting, educator, and videographer certification programs. NCRA impacts legislative issues and the global marketplace through its actively involved membership.
Forbes has named court reporting as one of the best career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the court reporting field is expected to be one of the fastest areas of projected employment growth across all occupations. According to 247WallSt.com, the court reporting profession ranks sixth out of 25 careers with the lowest unemployment rate, just 0.7 percent. Career information about the court reporting profession—one of the leading career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree—can be found at DiscoverSteno.org.
