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Old Media, New Gigs: The Discursive Construction of the Gig Economy in Australian News Media

Author

Listed:
  • Luci Pangrazio

    (Deakin University, Australia)

  • Cameron Bishop

    (Deakin University, Australia)

  • Fiona Lee

    (Deakin University, Australia)

Abstract

This article analyses the representation of the gig economy in three Australian newspapers from 2014 to 2019. ‘Gig work’ is defined as short term, contract or freelance employment and is seen by many social institutions as the future of work. Drawing on a corpus of 426 articles, Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory is used to examine the construction of the ‘gig economy’ in the cultural imaginary. Five key elements emerge, including: demographics of workers; working conditions; workers’ rights; resistance and regulation; and change and disruption. Despite multiple competing discourses evident across the newspapers, each constructs the gig economy as an inexorable phase in the evolution of the relationship between capital and the worker. The article critically analyses the construction of the discourse, including the difficulties of regulating gig economy platforms and the narrative of inevitability used to describe changes to work and life brought about by technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Luci Pangrazio & Cameron Bishop & Fiona Lee, 2023. "Old Media, New Gigs: The Discursive Construction of the Gig Economy in Australian News Media," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 37(3), pages 606-624, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:37:y:2023:i:3:p:606-624
    DOI: 10.1177/09500170211034663
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Sally Weller & Phillip O’Neill, 2014. "De-industrialisation, financialisation and Australia’s macro-economic trap," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 7(3), pages 509-526.
    3. repec:osf:socarx:k3hy4_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Lehdonvirta, Vili, 2018. "Flexibility in the Gig Economy: Managing Time on Three Online Piecework Platforms," SocArXiv k3hy4, Center for Open Science.
    5. Mujtaba Ahsan, 2020. "Entrepreneurship and Ethics in the Sharing Economy: A Critical Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 19-33, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Elisabeth Bethge, 2025. "Voices Beyond the Road: Comparison of Online Employee Voice in Traditional Transport and the Ride-Sharing Industry," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 39(6), pages 1303-1328, December.

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