captioning - some thoughts Posted: Jan 24th, 2016 - 6:19 pm In Reply to: court reporting - anon
From my understanding, a great deal of closed captioning is being done by transcriptions who work at home. Realtime reporting is using the court reporting steno machine to transcribe live television broadcasts.
For example, TV shows, movies, Netflix, etc., can be transcribed like an MT transcribes reports. It is done ahead of time and programmed or embedded into the show or movie.
Live TV, such as sporting events, news broadcasts, etc. are done in realtime, meaning someone is watching it, transcribing it, and it shows up immediately on the TV screen.
There are some companies who hire people to work at home captioning stuff. You just need to have typing ability.
Realtime can also be used for Deaf students in a classroom if they choose to do this rather than using an interpreter, often in college classrooms.
What I think people looking into court reporting or any job using the steno machine need to realize is how hard it is and how time consuming it is to develop this skill. I can't imagine doing this with an online program at home. When I took classes in this field at a business college, it seemed hands-on instructor help was necessary.
Reaching the speed necessary to graduate is extremely difficult. I believe it was 225 words per minute when I was in it. It consists of drills upon drills, learning the shorthand. I believe the average speaking rate of a television newscaster is 200 words per minute.
The program I was in was structured to be completed in 2 years. About 1-1/2 years into it, I could not get past 160 words per minute. Two other students I started with completed it in 2 years. There was a schoolteacher in the course who was in his 3rd or 4th year. He had completed everything else but could not obtain the speed needed to graduate.
It isn't just book work and studying. I would say it is similar to learning the piano. You have to learn how to read the music, play it and play it quickly and almost perfectly.
I have no doubt there are opportunities in this field. It is definitely not a quick exit out of MT. Knowledge of QWERTY keyboard is no help learning the steno. Google what the steno keyboard looks like. I would say it mirrors MT zero percent. The steno keys are not hit one by one, there are combos that seem anatomically impossible, consisting of hitting 5, 6, 7, 8 or keys at one time. You don't type letter by letter, but words are formed with key combos for phonetic sounds.
Anyone interested or curious should turn on the closed captioning function on their TV while watching the news or a ballgame to get the idea of the speed and accuracy involved.
I wish everyone the best in the options they look into and pursue.
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