Covering Barça's current events isn't just about watching matches and writing reports. It's about keeping an eye on every press conference, every statement in the mixed zone, every training session, every move in the transfer market. All of that, almost always, against the clock.
Anyone who works in sports media knows it: in the press room, while Flick is speaking, you're already thinking about the headline. If there's a post-match press conference, you have to record it with your phone. Meanwhile, you're writing the report as fast as possible to publish it before midnight. If there's a player's statement in the mixed zone, that's another audio to add to the list. Everything is recorded, of course.
Then, when you get home, the hard part begins: reviewing those audios, pulling out quotes, adding quotation marks, organizing ideas... and all with the pressure of being the first to publish.
Audios that get lost, ideas that are forgotten
Many times, due to lack of time, you don't even get to listen to all the audios. Or you quickly jot down a phrase that you later aren't sure was verbatim. Or you have three voice notes with great ideas for an analysis, but it's already Tuesday and they've been buried in WhatsApp.
The reality is that most journalists work with their phones full of audios, without a practical way to turn that information into useful content without losing hours.
A small solution that fits in your pocket (literally)
In that context, a tool has started to make the rounds among some journalists that promises to change the rules of the game. It's not a miracle app or complex software. It's Plaud.ai, a small device that attaches to your phone or clothing and records conversations in high quality and automatically transcribes them into text.
The interesting thing isn't just that it records, but that it turns what you record into an organized, editable, and perfectly recognizable document. It recognizes different voices, punctuates correctly, and it's designed precisely for that: press conferences, interviews, ideas on the fly.
How are some journalists in the Barça environment using it?
- During Flick's press conferences: instead of taking notes at full speed, they listen calmly knowing everything will be recorded in text.
- In the mixed zone: when players speak quickly or there's background noise, Plaud.ai's mic captures the sound better than a phone.
- While traveling or late at night: instead of writing down ideas while sleepy, they simply say them out loud. Then, Plaud.ai turns them into text in seconds.
- To plan analysis pieces: loose ideas recorded in an audio are transformed into an organized script for the article.
It doesn't replace the journalist. It sets them free
Plaud.ai doesn't write for you. It doesn't create headlines. It doesn't think for you. But it does save you all that mechanical time between audio and text, so you can focus on what's important: telling the story well.
That, in the Barça ecosystem, where information moves at breakneck speed, is a real advantage.