The Informal Media Economy – Ramon Lobato & Julian Thomas

I initially found this reading quite a depressing as it discussed the informality of employment within the media industry, subsequently resulting in underemployment, irregular and inconsistent wages, and undesirable working conditions. Lobato and Thomas discuss the informality and flexibility of new working cultures, and also the need for the creative individual to ‘keep up’ in a constantly changing field. The quote taken from the 1999 Leadbeater and Oakley report of every media ‘independent’ thinking they will come up with the next “Hotmail or Netscape” hit close to home.

It’s funny because a lot of what Lobato and Thomas discuss in relation to paid media workers is relatable as a student working for free in the name of ‘interning’ or ‘work experience’. The idea of the ‘late nights’ in a sort of ‘sweatshop’. The 85 hour work week for the employee at EA was upsetting to read, but this was an example from 2004; is it still like this now? If you have a solid work ethic, are passionate about what you do, and take pride in your work, can you be easily taken advantage of? Then there is the other side of the coin where there is not enough work, and anxiety fills the empty space between each job. I don’t know which is worse to be honest.

The reading goes on to say that at least in the media industry, the creatives have the capability to be flexible and go with the flow. In other industries, workers do not have such a luxury and hence they have it worse off. I somewhat agree. I know that uni students our age constantly lament that “there are no jobs”. I suppose it depends what you’re looking for, and Lobato and Thomas explain how the “low-wage countries are brought in to do the heavy lifting under insecure and exploitative conditions” i.e. they do the jobs that we consider don’t pay enough. And technically we shouldn’t be angry about it because anyone can be considered a media worker, can’t they?