Hansard is Britain's official record of everything said publicly in Parliament. Founded in 1803 and named after a family of printers, it is treated as the gospel of parliamentary proceedings.
In the House of Commons, reporters work in five- or ten-minute "turns". They sit in the press gallery noting anything that might need checking, then rush to their desks, plug in headphones and write up the account. A key guideline holds that the current speaker has the floor and everyone else should be ignored. Staff communicate with MPs during debates through a chute behind an oak-panelled door: a scribbled note goes down asking for clarification on a word or phrase, and the answer is hastily sent back up.
An "um" or "ah" can subtly change the meaning of a sentence, as can emphasis, tone or a raised eyebrow. In deciding how to record such things, Hansard shapes the collective memory of parliamentary debate.
Trainees start with less intense tasks such as note-taking in committee rooms, and after six months earn a diploma in parliamentary reporting before progressing to the Commons.
In 2019 semi-naked climate protesters glued themselves to glass panels overlooking the chamber, meriting three uses of "[Interruption.]"—a notation previously deployed for an insistent housefly and a volley of horse manure.
Hansard is cautiously embracing artificial intelligence for initial transcription, though its editor, Jack Homer, maintains that the heart of the job is making subtle editorial judgments that only humans can do.
Your life would be very empty if you had nothing to regret.