The written word is always easier to analyze. When you read, your brain absorbs the information faster and more efficiently compared to listening. Think of a student reading a transcript of the lecture notes. Or a judge reviewing a transcription of the court proceedings before delivering a judgment. Or even a doctor going through a written breakdown of a patient’s symptoms to come up with a diagnosis.

In all these cases and more, transcription delivers the information in the most convenient form. Readers go through the information at their own pace, as opposed to listening, where they have no choice but to follow the speaker’s pace. You can’t really listen at your own pace, can you? When reading, you don’t have to go through the entire document. You can skim through it and still get a formidable overview of the subject. Or you can concentrate on only those segments that are relevant to you. With text, you have more options on how to consume the content.