Why Journalists Need Transcription Software

Every journalist knows the essence of time when it comes to their work. Breaking news, when not reported within only a matter of time, could lose its complete edge. This is why it is very important for transcriptionists to be able to come up with a transcription of a report, interview, statement or etc. Journalism, in general, is very time-sensitive and this is why the perfect transcription tips would point towards using a transcription tool in order to get not just an accurate but also a very fast transcription.

While some journalists usually already work along with a transcriptionist, sometimes, in the world of journalism, getting a transcriptionist to come up with an instant transcription is sometimes impossible. This is especially true for those in the journalism field that have to outsource a transcriptionist who is not always available. This could cause a huge problem and the journalist might have to come up with the transcription themselves.

Why is transcription important in journalism?

Transcription is very important in a number of fields not limited to journalism. In fact, both medical transcription and legal transcription have started to kick off due to the demand for transcription without having to spend sometimes an enormous amount of time doing it. There are also other reasons why transcription is very important when it comes to journalism.

1. Time-sensitive

As mentioned earlier, journalism in itself is very time-sensitive. This means that the journalist would have to come up with the transcription of whatever recorded audio that they choose to use in their piece. The use of an audio-to-text transcription tool would give the transcriptionist an instant edge as they would be able to come up with the plain transcription very fast. With this, all that needs to be done is to take the specific part that the journalist chooses to use and edit it.

Having the right transcription tool would assure that the transcriptionist can get an instant transcription in only a matter of minutes. In fact, with certain transcription tools, the journalist can even have the transcription done on the go and receive a notification once everything is finished. This not only saves time but also saves a lot of energy.

2. Accuracy

Coming up with an accurate transcription is very important. However, when a transcriptionist themself has to listen again and again to the recorded audio file, this could lead to problems in accurately coming up with the needed transcription. This is especially true in long speeches where the audio file is not too clear.

Using a transcription tool allows the journalist to get an instant audio-to-text file that they can simply search through in order to find which parts they would want to use. The transcriptionist can then edit the needed part making it more accurate than the instant transcription. In the end, it is still up to human ears to discern what is really being said by the subject or speaker/speakers of the recorded audio.

3. Timestamps

The use of timestamps is very important in order to make the work faster for transcriptionists. In fact, this is one of the tools that really help out transcriptionists while they are doing their work and not just when it comes to the output. While shorter transcriptions would not really need to have timestamps, longer transcription files would easily find the journalist lost within the whole audio.

Timestamps allow the journalist to find out exactly which part they are looking for. Let’s say the journalist had to sit down on a three-hour seminar or press release, finding the specific line that the speaker said would be really hard without the use of timestamps. A transcription tool that automatically includes timestamps is very important for the journalist as it allows them to sift through everything that has been said and go straight to the essentials.

4. Getting the essential

While a transcriptionist might sit through that three-hour seminar, chances are they might just use one or two lines that are hidden somewhere between the rumble of sentences. Of course, when it comes to journalism, the journalist can’t give the readers three hours' worth of text when it can be summed up and digested for readers on the go.

Of course, there are still readers that might still prefer the lengthier audio. However, this is not always a good thing. Sometimes, longer quotes could lose the reader as some of them would seem irrelevant to the reader. It is also very important to pick between verbatim or non-verbatim depending on the type of news being reported.

While talking about gossip or celebrity news, including the “ums,” the”ers,” and the “hmmms” could be allowed, when it comes to more formal or corporate news, this could be a turnoff for the reader even if it is what the speaker says. It is important to determine which type of transcription would better suit the readers making sure that the journalist does not lose them in one lengthy scoop.

Journalism transcription tips

When transcribing recorded audio for a news piece, it is vital that the journalist be efficient when it comes to the act of transcribing. They must not spend too much time in making the transcription in order to have the time to report the news. Although most of the news is done in teams, this is not always the case and sometimes, the journalist would have to make the entire piece themselves.

Using a good transcription tool is the best way for the transcriptionist to come up with a quick and accurate transcription that only needs a little editing. This is especially true for contributing journalists as opposed to regular journalists that might have a transcription already in the team.

Need transcription for your next journalism project? Try out www.izitext.io. Timestamps are automated and each word of the transcript accurately corresponds to the specific part of the audio file.