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Scoping versus Being a Reporter

I'm a student. I clicked on scopists because another girl had mentioned possibly doing some of this work while in school. I was just telling my other classmates how I knew of this guy who used to play the piano in our church when I was a little girl. He was a certified reporter but I guess he liked scoping better and working completely from home, so that's what he did. He just scoped for other writers. I'm wondering how many reporters end up doing this and how does the salary compare? I do find it fun cleaning up tests and problem solving with words and getting that good, clean copy. ~ Amy

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Robin Fritz on August 7, 2008 at 9:56

Hi, Amy. I'm a former reporter working as a scopist. I LOVED reporting and had to stop due to an injury. After many years away from the field I started doing transcription with my steno machine and stumbled upon a scopists' forum. I was a little nervous to take on scoping with all the changes that had taken place, but once I started, I never looked back. That was early 2005.

I am thrilled to be working on transcripts, I love doing the research involved. I love working from home. There are a lot of issues that come into play while working from home, but I've managed to work through them.

There is no comparison in salary. If you were working with reporters that only had expedites and dailies and plenty of them, sure you can make a great salary. That just isn't how it is all the time, especially if you are just starting out as a scopist.

I know plenty of reporting students who are scoping while in school. It's a great option if you need to work. My opinion is if you don't have to, don't. Use that time to practice your heart out!

Are you having second thoughts about choosing court reporting as a career?

Robin

Permalink Reply by Amy Seabolt on August 7, 2008 at 14:02

Thank you Robin... No, not having second thoughts. Just wondering why someone would want to change after being a reporter. Also someone in school mentioned possibly scoping while in school just like a part-time thing. I guess I was really just wondering why you would ever want to take all the time to learn the machine and then not do it so that really helps me. I would think it would be nice to be the reporter and then just have scopists hired if you don't like that end of it. I guess I just don't know how it goes. When you're in school it's like you're so focused on speed and all the loans you're going to have to pay back. Most of us don't know any court reporters or scopists so everything's just a big mystery all the time. I guess the main thing is to be happy with what you're doing and maybe once I'm in the field then there's always options and plenty of room for change. Thank you for writing me back... I appreciate it. I think I can add you as a friend if I can figure it out. ~ Amy

Permalink Reply by Sabrina on August 13, 2008 at 19:05

Amy, I can only speak for myself, but I was a reporter for 11 years with the same firm and now I scope. I mainly decided to quit reporting and scope from home because I had a child and wanted to be with him. If I hadn't had a child, I would still be reporting, even though it was very stressful and I worked ALL the time. The money, as Robin said, is nowhere comparable. You definitely make more as a reporter. Good luck to you!

Permalink Reply by Amy Seabolt on August 13, 2008 at 19:17

What actually makes it stressful if you're freelancing especially. I talked with a girl whose been freelance reporting for a long time and she said the job is easy it's just getting through school that's so tough. Is it just everything that goes with it like deadlines, etc? Is the stress something that you can adjust like in how much you work or what? You know when you're in school the only stress you can imagine is getting the speed and accuracy where it needs to be. It's hard to think of anything else. I've heard that some people thrive under pressure... I guess the challenge of deadlines, etc. I don't know... I guess I've felt mounds of stress in anything I've done be it wondering where the next sale is coming from or trying to produce enough product to keep up with sales all the way to trying to work in a beauty shop full of the same women day in and day out. I just want to know more about what exactly the stress is with the reporting job. I know it's there....

Permalink Reply by Amy Seabolt on August 13, 2008 at 19:19

Thanks, Sabrina for writing about it. I forgot to say that... Amy

Permalink Reply by Sabrina on August 24, 2008 at 12:19

Amy,

The stress in the job for me was that I worked for a firm of about 15 other reporters, and while I was considered a freelance reporter, I pretty much had to take whatever I was sent on. I usually had super great jobs, but every now and then there would be that board meeting of 30 or so out of control board members that I just couldn't reel in to save my life. No matter how much you speak up and try to get people to speak one at a time, sometimes it's just useless. And putting together a transcript like that is stressful, believe me.

The deadlines were also stressful for me, especially when I was usually on a job every day and some of them consisted of traveling a hundred or more miles to little surrounding towns, and I wouldn't get home until 7:00 or later at night and then I would have to stay up to midnight or later to stay on top of things. You're right, some people do thrive on that, but when I started a family, I thought, this is for the birds! I want to have TIME with my family.

Good luck to you!

Permalink Reply by Robin Fritz on August 13, 2008 at 19:24

Hi again, Amy. What I found stressful about being a court reporter was the scoping. Funny I love it now, but it's just so much different now than it was then with the Internet making life so much easier. Many reporters (like me back then) do it all on their own. I'd think I had a couple of days "off" to get my transcripts worked on and I'd get a call that there was a job I HAD to take for various reasons. There were plenty of sleepless nights to make sure I made the deadlines.

Permalink Reply by Irene Martin on August 14, 2008 at 7:12

Hi Amy,
I was an Official for a court for 27 years and decided to start drawing retirement (I had vested) Now I freelance and sub in the courts which was my home for so long. I also scope at home. I love it! I love reporting and I have always enjoyed scoping too! My story is a little different... I feel I have the best of both worlds now !
Irene

Permalink Reply by Amy Seabolt on August 14, 2008 at 13:26

Thanks, Irene.

Also... now that you seem to be the right person to ask since you're in Texas... I am trying to find out for sure (in Texas)... if the PLAINTIFF purchases a copy of the transcript , then that is at full price. If PLAINTIFF wants another "copy" it is to be 1/3 the cost. But I also understand that if the DEFENDANT orders a transcript then this is also considered an "original" and sold at full price as well... even though the PLAINTIFF may have first technically ordered and paid the court reporter for it. So what I'm saying is: Do the Plaintiff and Defendant have to both pay full price for the initial copy if they each want one?

Permalink Reply by Karyl on August 14, 2008 at 17:07

Hi Sabrina,
My name is Karyl, and I live in Honolulu. Relatively recently, I discovered the whole concept of "scopistry," and I'm super enthusiastic about making it my new career. I'm looking to you for some thoughts about the path I should take. Here's what you should know about me. Like you, I am a mother. My son just turned 2. I have my masters in English (with a particular LOVE of grammar and wordplay). I've taught English in private schools here on the island of Oahu for over 14 years, and, most recently, I've been one of the readers/scorers of the new SAT essay that entering college freshman take. The SAT gig is fabulous and flexible, as I do it from home. So, with all this being said, I have a couple specifics for you.
1). Do I need to find some online course for becomming a scopist? (NO classes taught in scopistry here in Hawaii.)

2). Would I need to buy the CaseCATalyst software (or AristoCAT or another) and self-teach?

3). Our Hawaii State Judiciary system does not use scopists, although the manager for the court reporters says they REALLY should. Especially the young cr's coming in have absolutely no grasp of punctuation and barely one of grammar...interesting.

4). I'm not looking to work ALL the time, as I'll continue to score for the SAT folks, but what is the venue I would use to market myself online? NCRA? or this website?

5). Hourly wage?

6). Really, in a nutshell, what you DO as a scopist and where the documents go when you're done with them.

:)

Really looking forward to your response. I know I'm asking a lot of you, but would appreciate anything you could send my way regarding this message.

Karyl

Permalink Reply by Amy Seabolt on August 14, 2008 at 18:30

thanks robin... !!! amy

Permalink Reply by Shawna Ingle on August 19, 2008 at 18:28

Hi, Karyl,

What Ang said is pretty right on (right on, Ang!). I was an English teacher and gave up all that *glamour* (tongue firmly in cheek) to become a scopist. I've never regretted it. That's partially due to the state of our schools, but also scoping was a perfect fit for me. Once I learned my software, I was rolling. I don't read much steno, but I've picked up some along the way.

For me, a single mom, the main benefit is being able to go to my son's field trips, volunteer at his school, take care of him when he's sick. I also have a very long-distance relationship and can go visit my hunny when my son has his extended stays with his dad.

I can honestly say that I have never had more job satisfaction than I do as a scopist. So while it does not pay as well as reporting, I believe Einstein said: "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."

Cheers,
Shawna