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By Andrew Moorhouse, Head of Journalism
The Times They Are A Changin’ sang Bob Dylan in 1964. These words just so happen to be relevant to the world of journalism today. Change seems to be coming at every twist and turn. Journos need to be comfortable with new media such as video and audio equipment, Apple’s iPad looks set to make waves in the way people read newspapers and even the way news writing is taught is set to change come September.
However some things remain untouchable for a journalist and it is as clear today as it was decades ago that shorthand is still king. All sorts of gadgets have come in and tried to replace the art of Teeline / Pitman, most notably the dictaphone which has made many people’s lives far easier, especially when conducting long interviews.
But it still remains the case that having shorthand at your disposal adds another dimension to a journalist because you never know when you are going to come across that perfect story or bump into that potential interview. You can’t go rooting around your bag looking for your damn dictaphone as the opportunity might pass you by. That is where shorthand comes into its own. All you need is a pen and a pad and you are good to go.
True, it’s a tough nut to crack but that is the nature of the beast with many aspects of journalism. It is not the easiest industry in the world and hard work is needed on every level if you want to make it. That’s true regardless of whether you want to be an investigative writer, a fashion guru or a sports nut.
The prospect of listening to that same passage over and over again until you get it down word perfect might seem like an outrageous slog right now. But it’ll seem like the greatest decision you ever made when you get into an interview for a job and the first question they ask you is whether or not you have got your 100 words per minute. If you can look the interviewer square in the eye and proudly say ‘yes I do’ then you’ve pushed yourself to the front of the queue.
So, Dylan was spot on when he wrote The Times They Are A Changin’. OK, he may not have been writing about 21st Century journalism but what is not up for debate is how important shorthand is to your career as a budding journo. So don’t miss the boat and get cracking on those specials and groupings.
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