Gone are the days of notetaking
The author is the head of the financial planning team of the JoongAng Ilbo.
When I first became a reporter, a senior advised me as I was going drinking with a high-level source. “You have to remember what the source says and give a summary the next day. It is a great skill.”
I could not take out a notepad in an off-the-record meeting. So I frequently went to the restroom and jotted down key points. I had a hard time decoding my own handwriting next day.
For a considerable period of time, I took out my notepad and jotted thoughts down during interviews. It was important to keep eye contact and write fast without looking at my notes. I was busy writing down not only what the interviewee said, but also the facial expression, atmosphere and tone. The sources would ask me what I wrote. I kept the notes as treasures though and hardly ever looked at them again.
Until recently, I took out my notepad whenever I asked questions. But I realized I was the only one with a notepad when asking questions. Other reporters were recording on their mobile phones. I started using the function later than others.
Recording is convenient but I find it annoying to transcribe. It takes twice as long than writing in a notebook or on a laptop. But there are many merits. Most of all, it is safe. There is no possibility of distorting a comment by mistake. Also, it is livelier. I often find things I failed to notice on the scene from the recording. The vivid recording is also powerful, serving as a strong weapon and a reliable safety device.
The age of notes is gone, and the age of recording is here. During the investigation of power abuse in the Park Geun-hye administration, former Blue House economics secretary An Chong-bum’s notes played the role of a “smoking gun.” He thoroughly wrote down the president’s orders, and they became critical evidence proving Park’s guilt.
Lately, recordings have been a fatal blow on major incidents. What ignited the suspicion that the Lime Asset Management case was more than a mere financial scam was a recording tied to a Blue House official which television personality Kim Han-seok released. A reporter involved in the alleged collusion between the prosecutors and media also struck back by releasing the recording in full. After a number of recordings were released related to the Optimus Asset Management scandal, suspicion of lobbying is growing.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)