‘Exciting world’ of quiet but essential observers
Stenographers are among the people I have met most regularly during my seven years working as a reporter. On many occasions while covering seminars and forums, I have relied on them for when I can’t split myself in two to hear speeches being given at the same time at different venues.
Sometimes I have observed the look of concentration on the faces of the stenographers sitting in front of me or nearby, their fast-moving fingers a blur as they type on their shorthand machines.
Based on my experience, they seldom talk to anyone, no matter how bustling a forum or conference might be. But I approached a stenographer during a break at one event because I was curious to know how fast they can type and the rate of accuracy.
It was then that I learned about the structure and principle involved in using their shorthand machines.
A stenotype has only 24 keys. The basic principle is almost the same as typing with a standard qwerty keyboard, as the input language is pinyin. The difference is that multiple keys can be used simultaneously to spell out entire words or phrases, saving a lot of time.
Stenographers are arguably little noticed, but they have an impact on many industries, including those that affect our daily lives.
My interview with Ma Ruijuan, a stenographer based in Handan, Hebei province, took some time to complete for this story due to her heavy workload. Not only do many of her freelance assignments come with tight deadlines, but she also has two children and is occupied much of the time with housework.
Yet the 32-year-old told me that, spiritually, she gains a lot from the recordings she is paid to transcribe. She has spent hours listening to lawyers, professors, reporters, TV hosts and sometimes celebrities. She told me repeatedly that “this is something that truly attracts me to the job”.
“If I didn’t choose to learn this skill, probably I would never have gone to Beijing. I would not be able to meet and hear from so many interesting people on so many exciting topics. I would not have had the chance to step onto a China Central TV studio set or even get to see how a TV program is produced,” she said. “All these are millions of miles away from my native village.”
She barely thinks about what effect the developments in artificial intelligence might have on her profession, she said, adding, “I’ll continue to do this as long as there is a demand.”
Her words reminded me of my interview with Li Zhengjie, a stenographer in Beijing with 12 years of experience. I asked him whether he is concerned about his profession in the long run.
“I don’t think stenography will be the only type of job affected by the development of AI. Many jobs will be affected in the process of transformation,” he said.
“Yet what’s important is that the job has helped me open a much more exciting world, and I have moved my life to a city such as Beijing. I’m grateful for the change and ready to face any potential changes in my career with confidence and an open mind.”