Is shorthand still relevant today?

Considering we live in a highly techno age when you can upload something to the Internet and have it zipping round the world faster than it takes to make a coffee, you might think that shorthand was a bit of an outdated journalism skill.

What's the point in learning shorthand when we have handheld digi things like iPads, laptops, smart phones, tablets etc to get it on the Internet as quick as it's being said?

Yeah, it sounds great in theory but in practise that's not quite how it goes in the world of journalism - even in broadcast journalism - where shorthand is still viewed as an essential key skill if you want to be or are a journalist.

Shorthand is still a major part of the NCTJ diploma in journalism and many editors would admit to preferring new recruits to have passed 100wpm shorthand over public affairs, law and any of the course's journalism examinations.

So what's the big deal about shorthand? Why is it such a sought-after journalism skill by editors? Why can't we just ditch it altogether and move with the times?

Well if you're struggling to do shorthand at the minute I can imagine that you’d think the last bit of what I've just written would be a brilliant idea. But hey ho, don't get too excited, it's unlikely to happen anytime soon. Not here in the UK anyhow.

Why? Well we might live in a fast-moving techno world but many of the places where you’ll be covering news stories are not quite there yet.

Take British law courts for instance. There is no way you’ll be getting into any court with a recording device of any kind so you’ll have to rely on your notebook and pen to take down proceedings.

In fact, few editors would allow you to cover a court case unless you have passed your 100wpm shorthand as they'd have to be confident that what you take down will be spot on accurate.

A journalist's shorthand notes are still admissible as evidence if you become tangled up in a libel case hence the wise journalist hangs onto their shorthand note books long after all the pages are filled.

Based on this fact alone you can see why passing shorthand would put you ahead of the competition if you go for a job interview as a journalist.

So no matter how painful it might be if you're finding it hard, do keep on plugging away and get that shorthand qualification under your belt.

But it’s not just in law courts that it will come in useful, especially if you’re planning on going into print journalism. Think about interviewing a person one-to-one, covering a public meeting or press conference.

How are you going to manage to get an accurate note of everything that is being said in longhand? Try writing down the TV news in longhand and I guarantee you’ll miss most of it.

And having your head down tapping away at a keyboard throughout the interview would look a wee bit, well odd if not rude!

So although most modern journalists have to juggle their workload on a number of multimedia platforms few would argue that they could get the job done properly without knowing shorthand.

It's okay to post a quick update to a website or blog - crucial even if you want to stay ahead of the competition online - but to get a full interview written up for broadcast, print or even the Internet requires journalism skills beyond tapping a few keys on a keyword.