Post-game interviews

This is good advice. I rarely use a recorder for an evening gamer, and I do this all the time. No one's ever rolled their eyes or looked frustrated.

If you use a recorder, I'd definitley have the pen out and scribble more than just time stamps no matter what.

 

I always begin my post-game interview questions with "Talk about ..."

That saves a lot of time, confusion and embarrassment if the coach or player was considering pantomiming his answer.

 

I know what they're going to say, so I type it up as I'm writing the game story.

It's a time saver!

 

I have terrible handwriting, so writing on the note pad doesn't do me a whole hell of a lot of good.
If it's a press room setting where the coaches/players are at a podium, I just bring my laptop and type as they type.
I always record - I've just tried to be as fast as possible and get only the quotes I need if I'm on tight deadline.

 

For me, if it's stuff I'm going to go write right now, like a gamer or notebook, I use my notes. If it's for a feature for later, the recorder. I think it's a terrible habit to get too reliant on the tape. It really slows you down.

Here's a note taking trick: if someone gives a really good long answer and you want to make sure you got it all, ask another throw away question you don't care about while finishing writing the previous reply. Avoids awkward silence while you are scribbling in a 1 on 1.

 

You'd think with all the technology out there, a recorder that transcribes onto a Word document/etc shouldn't be too far away.

 

That's pretty much identical to what I do ... typically, I know what quotes I want to use, almost as soon as the coach or player is saying them, so I'll scribble a word or two of it in my notebook to help me remember, then I'll listen to the recorder as I'm writing and I already know what I'm listening for. Depending on the situation, I sometimes remember the quote without having to listen to it again.

 

it's a great little trick ... and once in a while those dummy questions you throw in there to catch up get a better quote than the one you're still trying to write down

 

Always, always always write down quotes as you get them. NEVER rely solely on a recorder.

I can't emphasize that enough.

 

And try never to rely on what you've written down without having it recorded as a backup.

 

I agree with this too, but notebooks and pens don't get dead batteries. Though recorders don't run out of ink...

 

Or get washed out in the rain.