It goes without saying, dictation machines are great. They save time, energy and make your life a whole less stressful.

However, there are somethings to think about before using one, but don’t worry, I am here to talk you through some of the things to think about before using a dictation machine.

Meetings

In a meeting, is it really acceptable to just whip out your dictation machine and start recording everyone? The answer is no. Believe it or not, some people feel uncomfortable when being recorded and if you record someone’s conversation in secret, it could potentially be considered a breach of their privacy.

So, you’ve got yourself a little dilemma, you really want to record the meeting, as it is very convenient and a great way to save time and energy, but you don’t want to offend anyone. Well the answer is simple. Just ask! Get the permission of everyone involved in the meeting. In the case of a group meeting, this means that everyone in the room who might be recorded must give permission before the recording can proceed, in order not to offend anyone or even break any laws.

Journalists

For journalists we think dictation machines should be your go-to tool. As journalists seem to multitask on numerous media platforms, for instance they could be on twitter, tweeting about an event such as, taking photos, taking videos and taking notes. However, to make sure your the quotes and content is up to scratch, using digital voice recorder will definitely help. They can hold all the information a journalist needs and they don’t even have to lift a finger. However, sadly, there is a downside.

You need to make sure that as a reporter, you don’t become too reliant on them. Taking actual notes every once in a while, will help you to maintain your excellent writing skills and accuracy. If you start to rely on your digital recorder too much, you might lose any skills you once had. Also some reporters rely on their digital voice recorder to take all of their notes for them. But what if the device fails? Well, you’re screwed. So make sure you have a paper copy, or an online copy of all your work.

While these dictation machines are a great helping hand, there are also things to think about before pressing the record button.

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