Journalists and court reporters

Journalists often use shorthand, or develop their own methods to cut down on writing longhand, to take concise notes. Teeline shorthand, which uses specific symbols to represent words, is the widely used standard, allowing journalists to quickly write down what an interviewee is saying and then easily transcribe it onto a laptop or tablet.

Court reports are not allowed to use recording equipment or laptops when covering cases and so must be skilled at using shorthand to note down everything that is said verbatim, before typing it up on a computer. The more they used shorthand, the more words per minute they can note down.

There’s a growing body of research that shows using a laptop or tablet to take notes while speaking with someone erects a physical and mental barrier, causing distraction that can lead to key facts being missed. By using traditional note-taking techniques, journalists remain engaged while ensuring they have all the correct details for their stories.

Lawyers and solicitors

Being able to take concise notes and review them when a meeting has finished is a vital part of all legal work. Speaking with clients always requires excellent listening skills, so a good balance needs to be struck between noting down what’s being said and engaging with the person who’s speaking. Once again, shorthand or a version of it, is paramount. Facts are the most important thing, so lawyers are adept at hearing the key points and putting these down on paper. As many people can work on a case, notes need to be shared immediately in order to cut down on claimants being spoken with again about the same matter. By writing notes with a Bamboo Ink stylus and converting them to text via the Inkspace app, solicitors and lawyers can easily record and share information with a minimum of fuss.