July 2007
President's Message
As I write from the
southeast corner of the state, I’m finding it hard to change my thinking
into writing a message as a newly-appointed ICRA president when I’m wanting
to sit back and reflect on my life as a grandma who somehow managed to watch
three fantastic nights of fireworks (fireworks made by J & M Displays
right north of me in Yarmouth) last week. I heard beautiful and moving
songs being played during the fireworks: America the Beautiful, The
Star Spangled Banner, God Bless the USA, Stars and Stripes, and many others
being performed by the Southeast Iowa Symphony at Crapo Park in Burlington;
by The King’s Brass at McMillan Park in Mt. Pleasant; and by recordings via
the intercom at the Burlington Bees Ball Park. The sights, the sounds…it
all brought goose bumps and some tears to the eyes as we listened and oohed
and ahhed, looking upward into the remarkably-lit sky, knowing others around
us were doing the same, being ever thankful that we’re American, free to
gather in public places in security and safety with our families and friends,
reflecting on the traditions and freedoms we enjoy so readily in our country!
I hope it never changes!
America! Tradition!
Freedom! Family! I would like to linger there, memories and thoughts
steeped in tradition and bliss! But move on I must. The tears
in my eyes and any goose bumps are now happening as I must face reality in
my vocation. We are embarking into yet another year of reporting with
inevitable changes to come! Yes, we still have our freedom and this
is still America, but the changes in the reporting field will come.
Change #1: The
Judicial Branch is wanting to become paperless, and that paperless electronic
filing system is just around the corner. There is no stopping it!
The Judicial Technology Committee and others are working on just how that
will be implemented and how it will take effect. We need to work with
those committees, have a positive outlook on this new filing system, and
be ready to come up with helpful ideas and cooperate as quickly as we can
and when we can. Court reporters are adaptable and able and tech-savvy!
Change #2: Our
role in the eyes of others and our product. Laura Dennis, Assistant Director
of Government Relations for NCRA, spoke to us at our June convention about
the current Electronic Recording trends around the nation and how ER is trying
to work its way into different states, as it did in New Mexico, New Jersey
and Texas. Ms. Dennis provided us a handout enititled, “Core Message”
prepared by The Haefer Group which was reviewed by the NCRA Electronic Recording
(ER) Task Force and the NCRA Board of Directors. In it, it states: “State
governments, when funding court systems, often believe that electronic/digital
or video recording provides a cheaper alternative to court reporters.
Those who market and sell these beliefs (and the required equipment that
is packaged with those beliefs) often note that the hefty initial investment
for the equipment devices is offset by reduced salaries and benefits costs
resulting from the reduction and/or loss of court reporters.”
The handout further
states: “The court system and its security and safety of the spoken
word can be sustained by court reporters using realtime translation bringing
state-of-the-art technology into the courtroom. This technology offers many
advantages when compared to digital audio or video recording.” And,
“Officials are not the only court reporters who are subject to the threat
of ER. Portable ER systems for freelancers do exist.” And think
about this: “If officials are laid off, the freelance market will be
flooded.”
Ms. Dennis told of
studies that have been done where attorneys, clerks, judges, court attendants
and court administration were interviewed concerning their views of the court
reporter. There were some gasps in the audience and most of them in
disbelief when we heard what those studies revealed! It is necessary
to do what we can to change any negative views about us! One way Ms.
Dennis indicated we can help dissuade their present beliefs about us and
to help prevent ER from coming into our state is to “market” ourselves and
our product. Change our present actions! Change our
old routines and old schools of thought! That is, we cannot just
sit back and reflect on our years of traditional freedom and bliss, as official
court reporters or freelancers, thinking we're forever protected from change.
Just as I “marketed”
the southeast corner of Iowa with its varied musical performances and spectacular
fireworks displays, we must learn to "market" ourselves as reporters into
a better light, whether we are officials, freelancers, captioners or CART
providers. Let’s try using our realtime screens little by little until we
get comfortable with it and with others looking at it. Eventually, we can
show attorneys and judges what it displays and what we can offer. Let's
volunteer our time to help organize the offices, come up with new ideas to
help the Judicial Branch go paperless, join various committees in the State
concerning our vocation.
We have to keep
the fireworks and the excitement going that is needed in order to keep live
reporters from being replaced by ER. We have a skill and a product
that cannot be matched by a recording machine or ER! More importantly,
we should care about our profession. Let’s market ourselves and what
we can provide to others and enjoy it! We are in this together.
We’re family. We need you all to participate. As Benjamin
Franklin once stated, “We must all hang together, or assuredly, we shall
all hang separately.”
Office: (319) 753-8225
