With ubiquitous cameras and recording devices, why are they even necessary nowadays?
They seem to be an anachronism..................
Court reporters are not an anachronism. Compared to reading a transcript, watching a video or, even worse, listening to a recording, is very time consuming. Once there’s a transcript, it can be visually searched for particular passages and, even more important, it can be digitally searched for key words and phrases. Then it’s possible to prepare a list of vital excerpts. In a complex case involving many parties or events, a transcript can be searched to show connections and interactions, then indexed. If there’s a dispute about the accuracy of a transcript, it’s also possible to go back to a recording.
Exactly why there is now a “shortage” today. Back in the late 80’s, I believe, emerging technology threatened to make the court reporter obsolete. As a result, court reporters banded together through unions, legislation, and licensing requirements to prevent their jobs from technologically obsolete. Now, there is a human shortage, however, as you suggest there is technology that can record and transcribe courtroom interactions.
Because transcripts are still a necessity