Poster No. 1: I listen to my notes, fix it on my screen, and then read back from that.
Poster No. 2: If that happens, I would ask for a 5 minute break so I can listen to my playback.
Poster No. 3: Have you been able to do that? I wouldn’t think they’d be ok with it.
Poster No. 2: Yes. Judge’s in my area are very understanding.
Poster No. 4: I would not ask for a break. I would simply say “stand by” and quickly listen and repeat back what you hear.
Poster No. 5: Use your room audio.
Poster No. 6: In most cases, the readback request is very recent. And, honestly, I think reporters will agree readbacks are not a daily part of this job. Read from the screen and fill in what you missed or didn’t drop correctly (like and/in) from context and what you remember you heard [emphasis added]. They really just want to know what happened a minute or two prior and keep it moving. For a readback from 20 minutes ago, I do a quick search for a word string and do the same thing.
Poster No. 7: I also have an ear bud in. When asked for a read back, I say, of course counsel, one second please, rehear audio quickly and repeat the last question confidently.
Original Poster: What about if you have missed something? Are you doing it off of the room recording?
Poster No. 8: Yes. When I need to listen to audio to do a read back I do it off the room audio. I can play back either the room or my voice and so why not go straight to the source?
Poster No. 9: You’re absolutely right J…! [Thumbs up emoji]
Poster No. 8: I guess the only exception might be if there were a lot of long pauses. In that case, the voice audio cuts out the dead space and gives you a quicker readback.
Poster No. 10: I keep a pair of ear buds with me & slip one in if I notice that my translation is bad enough to prevent readback.
WAKE UP, NCRA!
FRANK N. SENSE
P.S. So this begs the question: When VWs are having a bad day, do they just run the room audio through artificial intelligence software?
P.P.S. Thank you for sending in screenshots of social media posts. Please keep them coming.
P.P.S. Please send this to all NCRA members that you know so that they understand to vote “NO!” to voice writers in NCRA on July 24.