View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. News
March 26, 2012

Is voice recognition software the secret to Mail Online’s prolific output?

By Duncan wirepost

Is the world’s biggest newspaper website cutting corners by using voice recognition software to transcribe quotes?

One of my moles certainly thinks so after spotting this recent story – headlined “‘Kazakhstan’s prostitutes cleanest in the region’: Shocking blunder as Borat’s mock national anthem is played out at medal ceremony”.

Mail Online reported:

Instead of ‘Sky of golden sun’ and ’steppe of golden seed,’ the audience at the Kuwait medal ceremony were told that ‘Kazakhstan [is the] greatest country in the world,’ and that ‘All other countries are run by little girls.’

As well as the lyrics played out stating that Kazakhstan has the best potassium, it also told how Kazakh prostitutes are the ‘cleanest in region, except of course for too many scars.’

Now as any Borat fan knows, the words underlined should read Turkmenistan. But instead appear as “too many scars”.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

My mole reckons it is a problem caused by using voice recognition software Dragon, which tends to approximate unusual names into English and does not spellcheck underline them. According to my source he knows, because he takes the same short cuts!

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network