Who would have thought shorthand would inspire so much chit chat... How many hours a night do you practice? What dictation tape are you on? My God, how do you write 'shorthand' in shorthand? I suppose shop-talk is one thing that you never do escape when among people in your field. But shorthand? I mean that's pretty sad.
The burning issue, however, is whether shorthand really is useful. There are those who think it is out-dated and useless given the technology about today. But there are others who believe it is an essential skill that any journalist should have (or at least it scores some brownie points on the CV).
Well since shorthand isn't my arch enemy (I have to admit that I have quite a mathsy brain) I would like to think that the time I am investing in it will pay off.
I can't help but think that it will. Surely there will be times when I am not on official reporter duty but when something interesting happens. I won't have a dictaphone. What will I do? Oh yes, I'll take a quote or two down in shorthand in a pad, on a tissue, on my hand. Phew. Crisis averted.
The various media gurus that have come to speak to us have generally extolled the virtues of shorthand. However, when they are asked whether they actually use the skill they often say that, in fact, they do not.
Does this mean that shorthand is a nice part of the old-school journalist image but not really a practical tool at all?
Ah well I quite like the idea of writing in secret agent-style code anyway. How sad and geeky I hear you cry. Given that this comment is coupled with the fact that I'm talking about shorthand AGAIN I would have to agree.
2 comments:
Love the shorthand.
Yeah Journalism isn't quite as glamarous as it may be percieved, but it certainly has some nice little perks.
Don't think burning out is an issue yet. Maybe when we are 40 and going grey. But at this age I think we should be able to handle a few too many assignments, drinks and lack of sleep purely on youthful journalistic enthusiasm.
(Point me to this post some time after Christmas when we are unbelivable over worked and still not even paid...)
I had suspected you were a shorthand fiend also.
You know what they say...prevention is the best cure. Then again, there are a lot of good hair dyes out these days.
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