When I’m busy (e.g. for the past few months…*grateful*), I find it rather difficult to spend much time on my hobby….this cricket journalism thing (yes, I have a proper job…kinda…sorta). I do the interview, then next it’s the transcription, then editing, then writing up of the blurb which appears at the beginning.
Back in the day…
If you zoom in, you can see my non-digital recorder LOL. Taken by Delmar at a press conference with Chris Gayle at Kensington, Barbados, 2009
When I used to use a recorder that was not digital (I got into this century only a few years ago :)), I’d have to play a bit of tape, try and remember what was said, then type it….fast (thanks to Fitz Henley’s 6 week typing course in the 1980’s, I type properly and around 75 words per minute).
Sure, I had a lot of time on my hands in those days, when I was gaddabouting (going to Jamaica and regional practices instead of doing ‘proper’ work is highly recommended). I remember when I was finished with the Lawrence Rowe transcription, it ended up being 24 typed pages! So you know how many days that took to finish transcribing.
But what about technology?
Years ago when I had asked a cricket colleague about transcription software which automatically types out what the voices say, he said he found it didn’t make sense because it did not pick up Caribbean voices very well. Bummer.:( Many years ago when I was covering a regional match at Alpart in St Elizabeth, Jamaica, I spoke with the technical guy from Radio Jamaica Limited and he mentioned a software called Audacity (at least I think it was him who first mentioned it). I didn’t explore it…..until last year. Although it doesn’t totally solve this transcription issue, it does help. You can slow down the playback and keep the same voice pitch so it doesn’t sound like something in a scary movie.
All well and good, but when you have to make a choice about working on something which pays for you to be able to travel, and this cricket writing hobby thing, you can guess what usually wins out. Indeed I am feeling quite guilty now as I have some work I should be doing for some clients….but there’s always Sunday, right?
Outstanding stuff
Hopefully I will find some time to finish transcribing one of the three interviews I have outstanding. Well, I am mostly finished with all three but as I normally post things word for ford, I have to check them back to ensure that people are quoted accurately.
Of course, the problem with not doing it immediately is that sometimes the content is no longer newsworthy. Fortunately when I am doing the questions I take my tardiness in mind and try and ask things which are relevant at any time.
So look out for some of that outstanding stuff……soon.
NB. It seems I had just got a barber hair cut in the featured image, and my eyebrows done 🙂