For journalists, precise and timely transcription is not just a convenience, it's a critical component of accurate reporting and source verification. This checklist will guide you through setting up AI transcription tools to enhance your workflow, ensuring you capture every word and meet tight deadlines with confidence.
If you want a transcription tool that also works offline and doesn't require a bot on a video call, CraftNote is worth evaluating: it records directly from your device and transcribes automatically.
CraftNote transcribes and summarizes recordings and extracts key points, and Persistent Speaker Memory recognizes a recurring source's voice automatically once labeled, useful for beat reporting. It works fully offline, useful for in-person interviews or venues with unreliable connectivity, and data is stored on EU servers with encryption and automatic deletion of raw audio after 60 days. It doesn't offer journalism-specific notations like [inaudible] tagging or built-in fact-checking, so the verification steps in this checklist still apply.
Pros
- Works offline for in-person interviews or venues with unreliable connectivity
- Persistent Speaker Memory recognizes a recurring source automatically once labeled
- Encrypted storage with automatic raw-audio deletion after 60 days
Cons
- No built-in journalistic notations like [inaudible] or [laughter] tagging
- No automated fact-checking; human verification against the original audio is still required
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not proofreading AI transcripts, leading to inaccurate quotes published.
- Using low-quality recording equipment, resulting in garbled or unusable audio for AI.
- Ignoring background noise during recording, which severely degrades transcription accuracy.
- Failing to review the service's privacy policy, potentially compromising source confidentiality.
- Not backing up original audio files, losing crucial evidence for verification.