Journalism Values and Ethics: OnPoynt Round Table Session #3

[@paulchimera3801]

Jodi Kantor talked about the pain of listening to your own interviews. This of course implies that many if not most of her interviewing involved the use of an audio recorder, be it a smartphone or a similar device. This further suggests that she doesn't use the traditional notebook & pen. Or, if she does, it's most likely a kind of back-up to the recording of her source's remarks. And possibly used to note details of her surroundings and other non-verbal points of interest. In short, my point is that it seems audio recorders are fast supplanting handwritten notes. Not in every situation, but surely many. I rather wish we had smartphones back in my day, because the fidelity of their recording app is outstanding. And, despite the need for transcription, it frees the reporter from his or her own often indecipherable chicken scratching and allows them to listen better, with fewer distractions.