A digital solution
I've been considering purchasing an audio recorder for the past year or so, but I never felt that it was really necessary -- not until the incident at the Honors Convocation, anyways.
So, in order to help me become a more accurate and effective journalist, I invested the money and bought myself an Olympus digital voice recorder.
The model I bought, the VN-480PC, is a pretty nifty gadget. It can record up to 8 hours of sound, has an approximate 25-hour battery life (running on two AAA batteries), allows you to index and organize audio files on the device itself, and even gives you the option of transferring audio files onto your PC via USB, after which you can easily e-mail or archive them.
The quality of the recordings are impressive (I tested my recorder by taking it with me to my French class and recording the entire lecture) -- and the Hold function of the device makes it easy to put it practically anywhere without worrying about one of the buttons accidentally being pressed.
Needless to say, it will be a new companion for me each day (I intend to continue to use it to record class lectures, and then store them on my PC at home), especially when I'm on assignment as a journalist.
It even gave me an idea that might help me with my photography assignments: since I often feel like a bother when I'm interrupting someone just to confirm their identity, wasting their time as I try to scribble it down correctly, I can now instead simply ask them to say their name/title. I'll be able to keep the recorder on during photo assignments, walk up to them and ask, and then keep on moving around and getting more photos without missing a beat. Of course, I should probably check the recorder near the end of the event, just to ensure that I can understand the names they gave well enough to reference them later in the official SHU directory (or other sources) as a check for spellings.
Comments
If your software can export an mp3, you can just upload that file. If for some reason the blog software won't accept a file that large, or if we start straining our host's servers, we can figure something out.
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz | September 27, 2005 9:20 PM
Lou - Quiet. ;P
Dr. Jerz - I'm not sure how to set up a podcast with the software I use, yet, but I'll look into it.
Val - Thanks for the warning -- I'll definitely be prepared, in case I have to interview a touchy source.
Amanda - I haven't given up practicing my note-taking skills... I am now in the process of developing my own shorthand style, while writing notes for my classes.
Neha - I'm sorry about your bank account. I told you to stop feeding me. ;)
Posted by: ChrisU | September 27, 2005 6:36 PM
You simply say, "Bank account, I need this more than you do right now." Be firm, but somewhat gentle.
Posted by: Valerie Masciarelli | September 26, 2005 9:04 PM
Lucky people... you can justify your new toys. What do I explain to my bank account?
Posted by: Neha | September 25, 2005 6:57 PM
Try doing a phone interview with a voice recorder. The phone in one hand, the recorder in the other, and where are my questions, notepad and pen? You get the idea.
I've scrapped mine for most reporting situations.
I only use it for special events and talks where people are speaking very fast.
Posted by: Amanda | September 25, 2005 9:44 AM
*hugs her voice recorder* I got mine two years ago for Christmas, back when I had this cah-RAZY pipe dream of being a reporter.
But (I think this goes without saying) you can't always rely on technology. I've had people go absolutely insane when they saw I was recording them. One person refused to continue speaking until I put it away! Not fun. :-\
Posted by: Valerie Masciarelli | September 25, 2005 1:26 AM
Chris, you could even post excerpts from interviews as podcasts, if you get permission from your source.
A note -- some people will be less comfortable talking if they think their grammatical slips will be recorded for posterity.
So you should test your recorder right in front of your source, explaining whether the recording is for your own purposes, or whether you'd consider podcasting the interview. Then, say something like "The recorder is on now," before you start asking your questions.
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz | September 24, 2005 1:31 AM
Chris, I will say...OVERACHIEVER!
Posted by: Lou Gagliardi | September 24, 2005 12:07 AM