Exposing the Threat to Stenography – A Call for Transparency, Strategy, and Action

Posted bystenoimperiumPosted inCourt ReportingTags:, , , , , , , , ,

In recent years, the field of court reporting has come under a calculated and well-funded assault. Under the guise of innovation and efficiency, digital alternatives are being pushed aggressively by organizations and individuals with clear financial incentives. Certified stenographers — the gold standard for accuracy and integrity in the legal system — are being sidelined. The forces behind this shift aren’t invisible. They can be named, documented, and held accountable.

To counter this, a comprehensive advocacy strategy is needed — one that not only identifies bad actors but also equips stenographers and allies with polished materials and a coordinated plan. Here’s how we do it.

1. Creating a “Bad Actor” Index: The Dark Money Map

The erosion of stenographic standards is not an accident. It is the product of a deliberate campaign by entities that stand to profit from replacing human expertise with unverified digital tools. It’s time to map the landscape.

We propose the creation of a public, well-researched “Bad Actor Index” or Dark Money Map — a centralized resource that tracks the individuals, organizations, and interests pushing uncertified digital reporting into our justice system.

This index could include:

  • Agencies endorsing uncertified digital methods
    Some court reporting agencies are actively promoting digital alternatives without disclosing their limitations. These entities should be listed with documented evidence of their practices and statements.
  • Vendors with vested interests
    Companies like Stenograph have pivoted away from supporting stenographers and are now aligned with the push for automation. Their leadership’s known ties to STTI (Speech-to-Text Institute) — an advocacy group promoting digital reporting — should be transparently disclosed.
  • STTI: Following the money
    STTI presents itself as a neutral educational group, but its mission and funding sources tell another story. By detailing its board members, sponsors, and marketing strategies, the index will show how STTI functions as a lobbying tool, not a genuine solution to any alleged “shortage.”
  • Lobbyists, PR firms, and the “shortage” myth
    The idea of a stenographer shortage is often repeated without evidence — a narrative used to justify the shift to cheaper, untested methods. We will track who is promoting this talking point and investigate their connections to digital vendors.
  • Conflicts of interest in regulatory roles
    Instances where former executives from digital-first companies move into influential positions within state or national regulatory bodies need to be highlighted. These revolving doors undermine trust and compromise the impartiality of rulemaking.

The goal of the index is not to attack — it’s to inform. It will be factual, verifiable, and constantly updated. Most importantly, it will be public. We can build it as a downloadable PDF, an interactive website, or a visual chart that shows connections at a glance. This is accountability in action.

2. Transforming Articles into Advocacy Materials

Many stenographers and allies have already written powerful articles and commentaries, but these important messages often don’t reach the right audiences. That’s where format and presentation come in.

By repurposing existing content into impact-driven materials, we can amplify its effect and reach new decision-makers. Here’s what we can create from the articles you’ve already written:

  • Polished blog posts and LinkedIn articles
    These will be adapted with SEO-optimized headlines, subheadings, and shareable quotes to spark conversation and build awareness in the professional sphere.
  • Media-ready op-eds
    Articles tailored for mainstream press or legal publications will feature persuasive structure, citation of relevant legal precedent or industry data, and a tone appropriate for editorial pages.
  • White papers for court administrators
    We can distill key arguments into a formal document designed to influence administrative policy — using facts, expert testimony, and clear conclusions.
  • Slide decks for briefings
    Visual presentations for bar associations, judicial councils, or advocacy events are often more effective than written reports. These will use concise text, impactful images, and consistent design to support in-person or remote briefings.

No matter the format, each material will match the expectations of its target audience. I’ll handle the editing, formatting, and tone — you bring the message, and I’ll help it land with impact.

3. Coordinated Advocacy Campaign

Bringing these materials together into a single, unified effort creates momentum. We propose a Coordinated Advocacy Package that positions stenographers not just as defenders of tradition, but as modern, strategic advocates for accuracy, equity, and integrity in the legal system.

Here’s what that package could include:

✅ A 1-Page Summary: “Why Stenography Matters”

This quick-read document will lay out the case in plain language for legal professionals, judges, journalists, and the public. It will cover:

  • What stenography is and why it matters
  • The risks of uncertified digital reporting
  • How the public can help preserve quality in the courts

✅ The “Dark Money Map”

An eye-catching, evidence-backed visualization of the network pushing digital alternatives. Think of it as an accountability chart — a who’s-who of digital disruption and the conflicts of interest driving it.

✅ Briefing Slide Deck

Ideal for live presentations or self-guided review by legal stakeholders. This deck will combine data, quotes, and expert commentary in a digestible format that leaves a lasting impression.

✅ Outreach Scripts and Emails

We’ll create ready-to-send templates for:

  • Contacting judges and court administrators
  • Reaching out to law firms and bar associations
  • Social media campaigns encouraging public support

These templates will make it easy for stenographers and their allies to speak with one voice.

✅ Social Media Kits

We’ll design shareable images, short captions, and hashtags that help stenographers engage their audiences without having to be professional marketers. Whether it’s on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X, you’ll have everything needed to get the word out quickly and consistently.

This Is a Fight Worth Having

Stenographers are not just technicians; they are guardians of the legal record. Every attempt to replace certified professionals with uncertified machines threatens not only livelihoods, but justice itself. And the threat isn’t hypothetical — it’s already here, being quietly normalized under the banner of “innovation.”

The time to act is now — not defensively, but with strategy, clarity, and unity. By exposing the dark money, sharpening our message, and coordinating our efforts, we can protect the integrity of our legal system and the future of the profession.

Let’s map the problem, elevate the truth, and move together with purpose.

Published by stenoimperium

We exist to facilitate the fortifying of the Stenography profession and ensure its survival for the next hundred years! As court reporters, we've handed the relationship role with our customers, or attorneys, over to the agencies and their sales reps.  This has done a lot of damage to our industry.  It has taken away our ability to have those relationships, the ability to be humanized and valued.  We've become a replaceable commodity. Merely saying we are the “Gold Standard” tells them that we’re the best, but there are alternatives.  Who we are though, is much, much more powerful than that!  We are the Responsible Charge.  “Responsible Charge” means responsibility for the direction, control, supervision, and possession of stenographic & transcription work, as the case may be, to assure that the work product has been critically examined and evaluated for compliance with appropriate professional standards by a licensee in the profession, and by sealing and signing the documents, the professional stenographer accepts responsibility for the stenographic or transcription work, respectively, represented by the documents and that applicable stenographic and professional standards have been met.  This designation exists in other professions, such as engineering, land surveying, public water works, landscape architects, land surveyors, fire preventionists, geologists, architects, and more.  In the case of professional engineers, the engineering association adopted a Responsible Charge position statement that says, “A professional engineer is only considered to be in responsible charge of an engineering work if the professional engineer makes independent professional decisions regarding the engineering work without requiring instruction or approval from another authority and maintains control over those decisions by the professional engineer’s physical presence at the location where the engineering work is performed or by electronic communication with the individual executing the engineering work.” If we were to adopt a Responsible Charge position statement for our industry, we could start with a draft that looks something like this: "A professional court reporter, or stenographer, is only considered to be in responsible charge of court reporting work if the professional court reporter makes independent professional decisions regarding the court reporting work without requiring instruction or approval from another authority and maintains control over those decisions by the professional court reporter’s physical presence at the location where the court reporting work is performed or by electronic communication with the individual executing the court reporting work.” Shared purpose The cornerstone of a strategic narrative is a shared purpose. This shared purpose is the outcome that you and your customer are working toward together. It’s more than a value proposition of what you deliver to them. Or a mission of what you do for the world. It’s the journey that you are on with them. By having a shared purpose, the relationship shifts from consumer to co-creator. In court reporting, our mission is “to bring justice to every litigant in the U.S.”  That purpose is shared by all involved in the litigation process – judges, attorneys, everyone.  Who we are is the Responsible Charge.  How we do that is by Protecting the Record.

3 thoughts on “Exposing the Threat to Stenography – A Call for Transparency, Strategy, and Action”

  1. Digital court reporting does have a certification. AAERT, the certifying body with more than 30 years in existence, agrees there must be a certified professional in the room – steno, voice, or digital.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Susan LaPooh Cancel reply