How are some media workers being exploited?
Deuze: Many, many more people want to get into the industry than there are jobs — and they are willing to do almost anything to gain a foothold, including working practically for free. This offers employers tremendous opportunities for control and, thus, exploitation. In economic terms, it is possible to interpret the media industry’s recent embrace of “user-generated content” as another way to outsource salaried work to the producing consumer. You do not have to be a business genius to understand the core reason behind corporate co-creative practices: reducing risk by having workers compete with audience for the chance to create content. IWM: You say in your book that studies among media workers suggest that pay is one of the weakest predictors of job satisfaction. Where do media workers find the most satisfaction? Deuze: Peer review, just like academics. Journalists often listen only to each other. Advertising creatives talk about “customer first” but really only care what the colle
