To record or not to record? A cross-section of journalists share their advice on choosing between your notebook or Dictaphone
When it comes to interviews, journalists have two ways of recording what is said; notebook and pen, or some form of digital recording device, like a Dictaphone. Both have pros and cons, but what is right for you and your next story?
To help you decide, Matthew Kassel, a freelance writer, spoke to 18 journalists for a piece on Columbia Journalism Review about which circumstances are best for each technique.
Elizabeth Spiers, founder of The Insurrection, noted how she records whenever possible, because recording devices can guarantee exact quotes during an interview.
"I think journalists have a responsibility to be as accurate as they can, and a reasonable person knows that memory is fallible and that notes that aren’t perfectly transcribed can be unintentionally misinterpreted later."
On the other hand, literary journalist Gay Talese, suggested that transcribed interviews lack intimacy. Instead, note-taking can promote a strong narrative voice.
"I believe I can be more honest as well as readable when I use my own language in telling the story rather than surrendering to the verbatim and often stilted language caught on a recorder."
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