Shorthand: Forgotten? Not forgiven

Shorthand is taught in almost every journalism school in the British Isles. Not so in mainland Europe.
As European legislation is ever converging, is it time journalism schools hung up their shorthand notebooks? Are the days of the phonetic alphabet numbered?
While many of the traditional skills that are associated with the industry are similar, shorthand has always been recgonised as essential learning in many schools in Britain and Ireland, while in Europe it has not and journalists have still managed to do their job.
In the British Isles, journalists are required to have shorthand to cover courts and council meetings, as taping of such events is not allowed, but this is not so in many countries in mainland Europe, so a knowledge of shorthand is not necessary.
Mairead Doyle, Shorthand Lecturer in the Dublin Institute of Technology said she believes shorthand is still as essential as it ever was in Ireland and Britain. "I have been teaching shorthand for more years than I care to remember and I still believe you cannot cover courts and council meeting without shorthand."
Studies have shown that the average person speaks at about 150 words per minute, however this ranges from about 120 to 250 words per minute. Traditionally, newspapers in the British Isles have required journalists to have 100 to 120 words per minute, and the National Council for the Training of Journalists in Britain requires 100 words per minute in order to pass their exams.
Niklas Varisto, World Multilingual Shorthand Champion does not believe shorthand is essential for a journalist. The Finnish journalist, who started learning a Swedish form called melin at 14, said he uses shorthand almost every day in one form or another. "I can take about 310 syllables per minute, which would translate to about 160 to 170 words per minute in conventional English forms. I use it for taking notes, but in most European countries tape recorders can be taken in almost everywhere, so I don't feel journalists need shorthand to do their job."
Said Ms Doyle: "Shorthand is essential if you want to work in the newspaper industry in the Ireland or Britain. The problem with taping an hour long interview, is that you have to play it back to find the parts you want, which can take time - something journalists never have when working to tight deadlines. With shorthand, all the information is available instantly to you, saving valuable minutes in an emergency."
During libel cases, and inquiries into disasters where journalists were on the scene, shorthand notebooks are accessible in court. It is commonplace for journalists, especially court reporters, to keep their notebooks for several years, as it is the only evidence a journalist has in a case against him.
Increasingly however, in many schools of journalism, the availability of a shorthand lecturer is proving to be difficult. In the Dublin Institute of Technology, Ms Doyle has reached retirement age and is now teaching shorthand part time. She is the only shorthand lecturer in the college.
There is also a belief that laws governing the taping of courts and councils will soon change in Ireland as a judicial reform committee is currently examining the laws surrounding court reporting and are expected to recommend a change in the laws when they present their report to the Irish Government in 1999.
Many newspaper editors still believe it is essential. It is still the policy of national newspapers in Britain and Ireland to recruit only journalists with shorthand. John Cunningham, editor of The Connacht Tribune said he believed it was vital for journalists to have shorthand. "The problem with electronic equipment is that it is very off-putting to an interviewee in delicate situations. People are less likely to say things off the record." Mr Cunningham also said he used shorthand everyday in his work. However, editor of The Independent, Simon Kellner recently admitted he failed shorthand in college, and got his first job as a journalist without it.
The future for the skill is unclear. With the Internet increasing the availability of speeches made by public representatives, together with the ability to tape meetings in many countries in Europe, there is heated debate on whether or not the skill is necessary for trainee journalists in Ireland and Britain It may be possible to tape courts and councils in Ireland in the near future, however even this may not coincide with the decline of the skill.
Thomas Felle