Closed captioning career opportunities are expected to grow as the FCC implements new laws to ensure the captioning of new television programming, older TV programming now appearing on the Internet, and on web-originated video.

New FCC laws governing Internet-delivered, archived television shows means lots of potential opportunity in the field of closed captioning. Florida, as one of the top states for television production, will see much of that action over the next few years.

Closed captioning is the transcription and text display of spoken words and non-speech elements on a television, film or video screen as scenes play out. It’s designed to help deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers easily follow along with the action and script of a television show, film, newscast, political speech or debate, etc. But it wasn’t until 2006 that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) required all non-exempt English-language new TV content to be captioned.

Now, the FCC is working to ensure that closed captioning is available for TV programming viewed online and for web-originated video. Specific proposed rules and deadlines are being challenged. The Motion Picture Association of America argues that the FCC’s expectations are next to impossible to fulfill and have countered with their own proposal that extends deadlines and limits the programs required to be closed captioned.

In any case, the end result is the same for students interested in careers as closed captioning specialists. Florida’s Stenotype Institute offers closed captioning career training along with its nationally renowned court reporting training. The U.S. Department of Labor Statistics projects employment of court reporters and closed captioning specialists to grow by 18 percent between 2008 and 2018. With establishment of the new laws, students who specialize in CART, broadcast captioning and webcasting services are expected to land the best job opportunities, experts say.

If you’re interested in a career in closed captioning, Florida’s Stenotype Institute should be your next stop. Students from throughout Florida and South Georgia can choose between campuses in Jacksonville and Orlando or qualify for the online study program (Note that additional training may be required). To get started, call 888-55-STENO (888-557-8366) and talk with an enrollment specialist today.

Technology will change the way court reporting, stenogrpahy and real-time transcriptionfor online meetings, depositions, conferences, etc is done, but won't replace them anytime soon.

Anytime new business technologies come about or old technologies are improved, people start worrying about the longevity of their jobs. Well, robotic surgery is being used today, but not without a real life, human surgeon and actual nurses on hand. You simply can’t eliminate the human element from certain lines of work. One of those industries is court reporting.

Schools in Florida and across the nation are enrolling new stenography students and consistently seeing graduates easily find work despite fears that sound and video recording equipment is stealthily creeping up on industry jobs. Over the past few years, the faltering economy has prompted courts in many towns to install video and audio recording systems with the goal of saving money spent on hiring court reporters – only to find themselves in a legal bind later. Lost, damaged or inaudible recordings have forced repeats of hearings and led to criminal charges being dismissed on appeal in recent cases. Getting poor quality recordings transcribed to paper have proven time consuming and costly. And although sound-to-text conversion software is available, it isn’t yet advanced enough to ensure accurate voice recognition.

Tech failures aren’t the only factors keeping stenographers and court reporters busy through the would-be tech takeover. Another is the growing demand or real-time, voice-to-text transcription. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 mandates a huge increase in the amount of television programming that must be captioned over the next few years. And, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, deaf and hard-of-hearing students in America’s colleges and universities have the right to request accommodation of real-time translation of classes and presentations to help them in their studies. These requests are accommodated via CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) services, which use the same technologies and techniques as court reporters.

While technology won’t take away court reporting jobs anytime soon, it will change the way court reporters and other stenographers work. As online video technology improves, people increasingly are holding business meetings, legal depositions, classes, courses and conferences online. This will boost demand for instantaneous, searchable text transcriptions of these events.

After graduating from the Stenotype Institute, one of the nation’s top court reporting schools, Florida graduates have enjoyed a consistent 95 percent job placement over the past decade. If you’re looking for a lucrative, meaningful and secure line of work, request an info kit online or call 888-55-STENO (888-557-8366) to talk with an enrollment specialist about a stenography or court reporting career. Study at our Jacksonville or Orlando campus or online.

Court reporting is one of the top 10 high potential careers in 2012.

A top 10 list of professions with the greatest career potential was recently released by Come Recommended, a content agency specializing in careers, recruiting, and human resources. It’s no surprise to Florida’s court reporting schools that court reporters made the list.

The report notes a 78 percent increase in the need to fill court reporting positions nationwide since 2010. Court reporters specialize in creating verbatim transcripts of legal proceedings and depositions. But their skills also are put to use daily in transcribing speeches, meetings and conversations. Court reporters who gain additional skills in closed captioning find work in film and television as well.

The findings echo those of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which predicts an 18-percent growth in the court reporting profession between 2008 and 2018. And they reflect the Stenotype Institute’s track record of placing 95 percent of graduates in court reporting jobs over the past decade.

One attraction to the profession is the high income potential for court reporters, Florida-based students say. The annual media salary for court reporters nationwide is $47,000, but that figure can easily double depending on the market in which you work and on the setting. For example, federal courts typically pay higher than do county or civil courts. And highly-skilled freelancers can demand enviable rates for covering high-profile court cases.

Other jobs making the list include education administrators; special education teachers; medical and public health social workers; marriage and family therapists; urban planners; clergy; firefighters and mediators.

Want to stake your claim to one of the nation’s most promising career opportunities? Call the Stenotype Institute today at 888-55-STENO (888-557-8366). Recognized as one of the nation’s top court reporting schools, we have campuses in Jacksonville and Orlando serving students from throughout Florida and South Georgia. Our students come from Naples, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Cocoa Beach, Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Ft. Walton Beach, Panama City, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, in Florida, plus Albany, Brunswick and Savannah in Georgia.

Are these guys and their song, "The Stenographer" the answer to your Valentine's Day gift for the court reporter dilemma? Perhaps not. (Photo: Relient K)

Searching for a unique Valentine’s Day gift for the stenographer you love? Florida students of the Stenotype Institute, one of the nation’s top court reporting schools, did a quick online search for the most unique gift ideas. And their findings were a bit strange.

The first search turned up a love song by an Ohio-based group called Relient K. Alas, the lyrics belie not so much a love song as a love-gone-wrong song. Titled The Stenographer, the song suggests that the singer’s significant other, who works as a stenographer, is a bit hesitant to trust. And perhaps a bit too moved by the criminal cases she’s undoubtedly reported:

I got in a fight with the stenographer
Afterwards she read me like a book.
I had tried to get along with her

But my temperament was quickly overlooked

On the weekends we can
Sneak into this courtroom
And you’ll offer me some sort of bargain plea.

Yeah, Smith and Weston Jr. was a son of a gun

He pressed his nose up to my head.
Yeah, I was sweatin’ bullets but I dodged the one
That was not as much sweat as was lead.

Oh, I still love you!
Oh, I still love you
Although I know that you want me dead.
And when I turn my other cheek
I will beg and I’ll plead
That this time you might just kiss it instead.

‘Cause this is my story

And like the glue on the binding,
I’m sticking to it.
If you wanna implore me
To change my tune,
Well I just won’t do it.

Cause this is my story
And like the glue on the binding,
I’m sticking to it.
If you wanna implore me
To change my tune,
Well I just won’t do it.

Perhaps this is not the song with which to serenade a stenographer beneath the moonlit sky on Valentine’s night.

Our next search looked positive at first glance. A vintage Valentine card pictured a stenographer at her station backed by a big red heart. Only she wasn’t paying attention to her steno machine. Instead, she was gazing into a mirror and doodling with her hair. A closer look revealed that the card was actually a vintage “vinegar valentine.” These caricature-fronted greeting first appeared during the Victorian era and lobbed insults rather than compliments. They often (understandably) were sent anonymously and postmasters sometimes confiscated them as items unfit to be mailed.

Try again.

Though we haven’t read the full book yet, we might have found a suitable Valentine’s Day gift for a stenographer on our third search. This time, the search engines turned up The Stenographer’s Breakfast, a book of poetry written from the viewpoint of a working stenographer, is a Barnard New Women Poets Award winner by renowned poet Frances McCue. Really – what makes a beloved swoon like poetry? And it’s readily available from online book purveyors like Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Powell’s Books.

So, are you a Florida stenographer? Let us know what you’d like for Valentine’s Day. And if you’re considering a career in stenography as a court reporter or closed captioning specialist, give yourself the best Valentine’s Day gift by calling 888-55-STENO (888-557-8366) and talking to an enrollment specialist. What could be a better gift to yourself than taking the first step to a lucrative and rewarding new career?

Preparation of transcripts is a time-consuming task for court reporters and often is billed separately from recording.

Early in their court reporting careers, Florida graduates often are concerned about the ethics of what many people claim is “double dipping.” This refers to the practice of charging separately for recording and dictating state and civil court sessions, hearings and depositions. But longtime professionals contend that each is legitimately a separate, billable task.

The issue of double dipping happens with both regularly employed court reporters and freelance court reporters. Many who work for the court system by day put in extra hours at night to prepare transcripts of the audio they recorded earlier. While states differ in payment practices, most states have laws that dictate a day-rate for recording court sessions and an additional per-page rate for preparation of transcripts.

The question of double dipping recently was highlighted in the case of a Ken Howell, a longtime court reporter in South Dakota hired to serve as a court reporter in the state Supreme Court appeal of a man sentenced to death twice for a 2000 murder. County commissioners got a case of sticker shock when Howell submitted his bill: $16,435. While that sounds like a whopping pay check for one gig, consider that Howell worked days, nights and weekends for nearly five months, recording and preparing the equivalent of 4,324 pages of trial transcriptions.

The county initially refused Howell’s bill, but two weeks later begrudgingly relented after learning about the court reporting and transcription process from the judge in the case and the Deputy States Attorney. They also heard from fellow court reporters who explained not only the process and the time involved, but the ongoing financial commitments of both regularly employed and freelance court reporters.

Those in successful court reporting careers know that most reporters must furnish their own stenograph machines, which can cost $5,000 or more; laptop computers for transcription; software that can cost upwards of $4,000 plus periodic software upgrades; printers and toner; and supplies for delivering final transcripts such as paper, binders, a binding machine and clear plastic covers.

As you can see, investments and ongoing costs for court reporting careers can add up. But the income potential is definitely is worth it. The annual median salary for court reporters is $47,700, or more than $62,000 if you have above-average speed and skill. Those figures can go much higher in certain markets. Plus, Florida ranks third among the states with the largest numbers of court reporters and court reporting jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

If meaningful work with high income potential appeals to you, consider a court reporting career. Florida’s Stenotype institute caters to students from cities throughout Florida and South Georgia including Naples, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Cocoa Beach, Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Ft. Walton Beach, Panama City, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, in Florida, plus Albany, Brunswick and Savannah in Georgia. Check out campuses in Jacksonville and Orlando, or find out if you qualify for the Stenotype Institute’s online program. Call 888-55-STENO (888-557-8366) and talk with an enrollment specialist today.

Learning medical terminology is a must for success in court reporting schools and careers.

Learning common medical terms is a must for students at the Stenotype Institute, one of the nation’s top court reporting schools. Florida students have shared with us the tips that bet help them ace the Medical Terminology course.

Remember this line shouted from the middle school hallways: “Hey – Your epidermis is showing!” A moment’s mortification hit before you remembered the term from health class. Epidermis simply refers to the top layer of skin – no need to be embarrassed. But you can be you’ll be more than a little red-faced if you miss important medical terms while working as a court reporter on an important legal case.

The first tip shared by students is to focus on learning the Latin and Greek syllables that basic medical terms comprise. Mastering the meanings of these syllables will help you determine and memorize what the most commonly used terms mean. For instance, “epi” is derived from a Greek word meaning “upon” or “over.” Dermis” means “skin.” Thus, you have the meaning for epidermis – the top layer of skin. “Hyper” means “elevated.” “Glyc” refers to sugar and “emia” refers to blood. So, hyperglycemia naturally means “high blood sugar.”

Many students find that making flash cards with the Latin and Greek syllables and randomly combining them helps them practice determining the meanings of medical terms they’ve never heard – a much more effective practice than simply trying to memorize terms. Another top tip is to search for online audio drills designed to help court reporting students practice real-time dictation. And you may enjoy watching medical TV shows and documentaries to help familiarize yourself with medical terms and the way they are used in discussions.

Instructors at the Stenotype Institute have designed course study that helps students effectively master the medical terms they’ll likely hear in court cases that deal with medical negligence, medical malpractice and disabilities. To make sure you receive the training that will boost your career opportunities, choose one of the Stenotype Institute’s campuses in Jacksonville or Orlando, or find out if you’re eligible for the online program. We are the oldest of Florida’s court reporting schools and boast a job placement rate of 95 percent over the past 10 years. Call 888-55-STENO (888-557-8366) today.

A court reporter's mistake could set a convicted killer free. If you're interested in becoming a court stenographer, make sure you get the best training available.

Because of a mistake by a court reporter in Florida, a convicted killer is set free and the institution of professional stenography is under attack. The story, which the Miami Herald first broke January 1, punctuates the need for highly skilled – and prepared – court reporters in Florida and nationwide.

In late December, an appeals court was forced to throw out the conviction and life sentence of Randy Chaviano, convicted in 2009 of fatally shooting a man who came to his apartment complex to buy drugs. Chaviano’s attorney argued that the shooting was in self defense. But the jury didn’t buy it and convicted the 26-year-old of second degree murder with a weapon and armed drug dealing. As expected, Chaviano appealed. But no one expected what happened next.

Court reporter Terlesa Cowart apparently had a habit of showing up to court without a sufficient supply of the rolls of paper used in stenograph machines. This meant that she failed to get an on-paper transcript of the court proceedings. She did capture the data from her stenography machine’s memory disc, transferred it to her laptop computer, then erased it from the disc. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Cowart’s laptop was hit with a virus that wiped out all notes, including most of the data from the Chaviano case. Only one key pretrial hearing and the closing arguments could be retrieved. As a result, the judge had no choice but to overturn the conviction and allow Chaviano a new case.

“The overturning of a murder conviction always means terrible pain for the victim’s family and frustration for prosecutors and police officers,” Miami-Dade State Attorney’s spokesman Ed Griffith told journalists. “Overturning a murder conviction because of a court reporter’s problem creates a brand new level of pain and frustration.”

Though some are using the story to advocate ditching the use of live court reporters in favor of audio and video equipment, legal industry experts argue that it actually highlights the need for better trained and more highly compensated court reporters. Florida’s Stenotype Institute agrees and has built a reputation as one of the nation’s top court reporting schools certified by the National Court Reporters Association.

“While the mistake of the court reporter in this case is both unfortunate and inexcusable, it is news in part because such mistakes by court reporters are so rare,” says NCRA President R. Douglas Friend. “If courts are interested in preventing such egregious errors, the worst thing they could do would be to install audio recording systems as a replacement for court reporters.”

If you’re interested in becoming a court reporter, Florida’s Stenotype Institute should be your next stop. The state’s oldest court reporting school also is one of the nation’s most respected and boasts a job placement rate of 95 percent over the past 10 years. Enroll online or request an information kit today.

This is NOT a court reporter. Courts nationwide are quickly learning that audio and video recordings cannot effectively replace live court reporters.

In an effort to save money during a tough economic time, district courts in multiple states began dismissing live court reporters in favor of using only audio recording systems over the past few years. Bad move, says one Florida court reporting school.

The trend is yet another example of people putting far too much blind faith in machines and technology without the benefit of a human counterpart. We’re not knocking technology, of course. Court reporters rely heavily on the cutting edge technology they use to provide real-time transcription and voice recordings of court proceedings, depositions and meetings. But removing the human factor and relying solely on technology has already proven disastrous for multiple cases.

Among the reasons that courts are beginning to switch back to using live court reporters are lost, inaudible or inaccessible audio recordings. Difficulties with audio recording systems breaking down have caused docket matters and court trials to be delayed to allow time to either repair the audio equipment or bring in a live court reporter. Otherwise, there would be no way to make record of the proceedings.

Failed or lost audio or video recordings can necessitate repeated hearings. A 2010 Jefferson County, Kentucky court was forced to order a repeat of a suppression hearing three months after the hearing was first held. All parties, including attorneys for both sides and a detective had to be brought in again to recreate the entire record when it was learned that the recording system captured video, but no audio. You can imagine the consequences if parties change their minds as to how they want to testify in a case over time.

Lost or inaudible audio recordings also have led to criminal charges being dismissed on appeal. Try explaining that to a victim or to his or her family. Plus, consider that money and time spent looking for lost recordings or hiring multiple transcriptionists who spend hours trying to decipher sounds may cancel the expected savings.

Says one longtime professional court reporter: “I’ve just spent over 12 hours in an effort to transcribe an audio recording made by a police inspector questioning a complaining witness. Even given my talents as a listener, skills honed by many years of court reporting, and my ability to write simultaneously what I’m hearing on the audio recording, I cannot hear/interpret correctly many of the witness’s statements because of his distance from the recording device, his pronounced accent, and the extraneous noises picked up by the device. Prior to my working on this, six different people spent many hours listening to and attempting to transcribe the interview. How, pray tell, does this save time, money, or manpower?”

A live court reporter present during legal proceedings can interrupt to ask for clarification, ask parties to speak louder or perhaps position herself closer to the speakers so as to ensure a thorough and accurate report. The Stenotype Institute, a top Florida court reporting school, highly recommends having both a live court reporter and an audio/video system for backup.

Make no mistake – courts are beginning to see the major flaws in eschewing live court reporters for machines. And many of them are switching back. If you’re interested in a career that has proven and growing job security, enroll at the Stenotype Institute and begin preparing for your court reporting career today. We have campuses in Jacksonville an Orlando serving students from throughout Florida and South Georgia including Naples, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Cocoa Beach, Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Ft. Walton Beach, Panama City, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, in Florida, plus Albany, Brunswick and Savannah in Georgia.

Top court reporters know where to draw the line when it comes to potential conflicts of interest.

It’s imperative that court reporters remain neutral and impartial observers, especially when it comes to legal cases. An obvious rule has to do with personal and professional relationships between court reporters and others in the courtroom. The California Code of Civil Procedure section 2025.320(a) reads that “the officer shall not be financially interested in the action and shall not be a relative or employee of any attorney of the parties, or of any of the parties.” All other states have similar wording in their civil procedure codes.

But some conflicts of interest might not be so obvious. A rampant problem in court reporting is gift giving. Freelance court reporters and court reporting firms often give gifts to businesses and law firms to help build favor, increasing the chances for being hired. Low-cost gifts such as logoed pens, coffee mugs and key chains are permissible. However, high-value gifts can invite legal scrutiny.

The Florida Court Reporters Association’s Code of Professional Ethics directly addresses the gift giving conflict. It reads that a member shall “refrain from giving, directly or indirectly, any gift to attorneys, clients, witnesses, insurance companies, or any other persons or entities associated with the litigation or reported proceedings, or to the representatives, employees, or agents of any of the foregoing, except for items that do not exceed $100 in the aggregate per recipient each year.”

Another conflict of interest may lie in the outside interests, activities or personal experiences of someone with a court reporting career. Florida residents often are highly supportive of environmental protection issues, for example. So, if a Florida-based court reporter is working on a court case wherein one party is accused of harming the environment, it may be tough for that reporter to remain neutral. This kind of potential conflict of interest is of particular importance in highly emotional court cases. For instance, a court reporter who has been a victim of domestic violence in the past may be unable to do her job impartially in a court case that involves domestic violence.

Remember that court reporters essentially are the keepers of history as it pertains to words and actions that happen in a court room, deposition or meeting. Their job is particularly important when proceedings are not recorded via audio or video equipment. One changed or omitted word can mean the difference in a court ruling. If you do not believe that you can be fully unemotional and impartial, you must decline the assignment. Don’t worry about retribution. Reputable court reporting firms, attorneys, judges and other court officials will respect and appreciate your integrity.

If you’re interested in beginning a court reporting career, Florida’s Stenotype Institute can get you on your way. With campuses in Jacksonville and Orlando and online, the school boasts a 95% job placement rate over the past 10 years. Call 888-55-STENO (888-557-8366) to speak with an enrollment specialist today.

Stock that briefcase with your "steno survival kit" items for a successful court reporting career.

If you’re a student intern preparing for your first off-site assignment or a recent graduate just beginning your career in court reporting, Florida’s Stenotype Institute offers tips for stocking your steno survival kit. Often, it’s the little things that can make a big difference in your performance. When you’re fully prepared for any curveballs that a day in court or at a deposition can throw your way, you can bet that others notice. It’s a crucial way to impress that lawyer or corporate official who may be looking to fill a vacancy in his or her law firm or company soon.

So besides the obvious – your steno machine and cords – here are a few other steno survival kit items we recommend:

• Your steno machine’s charger or extra batteries: This is imperative, even if you’re sure the hearing or deposition will only last a few hours. Court cases, depositions and other meetings can be unpredictable and last far longer than even the attorneys or judge expect. If you find yourself out of power, you’re likely also out of a chance for a job with those attending.
• An extension cord: You never know where you might be seated. If your machine must run on electricity, an extension cord will lend far more flexibility in your placement, allowing you to hear the parties you’ll be recording much easier.
• A laptop computer: This is important if you plan to do real-time reporting or get a head start on your transcripts during breaks or recesses.
• Extra paper: Bring both a notebook for jotting your notes and extra paper for your steno machine. Speaking of paper, also bring a mini-stapler, staple remover and paper clips to help keep all that paper contained and organized.
• A tape or digital recorder: This will come in handy when preparing your transcripts should you be unable to hear certain words or phrases on the fly.
• Exhibit-marking tools: These include a permanent marker, pens of at least two colors, exhibit stickers, labels, envelopes and invisible tape.
• A spill-proof bottle of water: Because there’s nothing like getting the evil-eye from a judge when you spill water all over the court reporter’s station or witness stand during a court session or recess.
• A snack: Energy bars, almonds, trail mix or other non-messy snack packed with protein can help keep you energized and alert throughout long days at work. And they can prove a godsend if you’re expected to work through lunch – not uncommon for court reporters.

Is there anything else you’ve found helpful in your own steno survival kit? Students here at the Stenotype Institute want to know. Post a comment on our court reporting school blog. And if you’re considering a career in court reporting, Florida’s Orlando and Jacksonville Stenotype Institute campuses serve students from throughout the Sunshine State and South Georgia. Request an information kit today.