What does a closed captioner do?

Some days I just want to watch television like it’s my job. Guess what? For Minneapolis court reporters trained in closed captioning, that’s exactly what they can do! As a closed captioner, you can transcribe any live event in real time including television shows. It takes additional training to get to the required level of accuracy and speed. For those with the skills, they can have a rewarding career as a captioner.

Closed Captioning isn’t new but it’s being requested more!

What used to be primarily a service for the deaf and hearing impaired is now a more widely used for business seminars, webinars, live meetings, political and sporting events, and education. Also called CART Captioning or Real-Time Transcription, captioners average more than 260 words per minute (wpm) with 95% accuracy. Some tell us at top speed they can average 300 wpm but for a short period of time. Often it’s to keep up with a speaker. The average rate of speech is about 180 wpm but some are faster or there may be multiple speakers that increase the work of the captioner (source).

Captioning is verbatim text of the spoken word.

The Hearing Loss Association of America describes captioning as basically what you see when you’re at an airport, gym, or some pro sporting events. It’s the text of the audio of a film, show, or event, displayed at the bottom of a screen and may include words and sounds like doorbell or applause. You may have put the captions on your television as a setting for a particular show or movie but can remove as you want or need; they aren’t typically added unless turned on to display.

Communication Access Real-time Translation is specifically for live events where text is provided on a screen at meetings, in a classroom, or theatre. It allows those who are deaf or hearing impaired the opportunity to participate.

For television closed captioners, they often work from home.

While there is technology developed for court reporters to work from home when taking depositions, it is far more common to have closed captioner working at home. It’s a good option for someone who is trained in speed and accuracy to make their own schedule to be able to take care of their family as well as earn an income. While traditional court reporting allows for some working from, there are also times when reporters are needed at an office to take a deposition. Captioning opens the field for those who need or want to work from home.

Are in need of a captioner or court reporter for an upcoming event? Contact us today to learn how we can help.