"You can put a tape recorder in any place, but a tape recorder can't stop and ask for a playback.” This is the opinion of Dave Wenhold, director of government relations and public policy for the National Court Reporters Association.
A few years ago there was a permeating belief in the Court Reporting industry that technology, like tape recorders and other audio devises, would replace live captioning. And why not? Certainly an audio recording device is cheaper and more convenient than a human, and what industry wasn’t being affected by an influx of technology and a trend toward fazing out “redundant”
But audio recording has not taken over for live human recording. Rick Greenspan, president of the Florida Court Reporters Association maintains “the best voice-to-text machine that anyone ever developed is the live human being."
The rumours of technological takeover however did serve to discourage individuals from entering Court Reporting, creating what is now being called a “critical shortage” of professionals in the field.
“The reality is that technology has only increased the opportunities in Court Reporting,” according to Joanna Russel, Campus Director of College of Legal Arts in Portland, Oregon. “Not only are Court Reporters in higher demand than ever before, but now there are excellent opportunities for individuals with Court Reporting experience to provide real-time closed captioning for television and web broadcasts.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “job opportunities for Court Reporters are expected to be excellent and job openings continue to outnumber jobseekers.”
A national survey by the National Court Reporters Association reported the average income for court reporters is $64,000.
Rather than stifling the career of Court Reporters, advances in technology have actually increased the career potential for professionals in this field. Russel says of this misconception, “technology has never been a threat to Court Reporting. The real threat is a lack of certified professionals in the field. Graduates of our Court Reporting Program are in demand all over the country and some are earning as much as $80,000-$100,000 per year.”
The College of Legal Arts, located in Portland, Oregon, offers nationally accredited certification in Court Reporting including real-time reporting, writing for the hearing impaired, transcription production, note reading and scoping.
