This weeks reading had us looking at Ramon Lobato and Julian Thomas ‘Work’ in which we saw the topic of low income and unfair pay for workers, mainly freelance writers in the many fields of the media industry workplace. The discussion brought to us by Ramon Lobato and Julian Thomas questioned wither or not it was fair and plausible for the media brands and over arching companies to take on these contributors and use there ‘freelance’ style writing to further there brand in return for low income and minor writing experience for those hoping to break into the fields of journalism or communications.

Personally reading through this I was torn. On the one hand I could understand the needs for these sorts of writers, they feed the internet and various forms of social media, gaining experience to further there careers and providing easy work services for companies that choose to pay them. On the other I was reminded of the website Rotten Tomatoes (A website that allows acclaimed critics and those freelance style critics “your everyday joe” to chime in on there opinions of a film) This is wear I can understand a “sweatshop” kinda vibe, where writers are happy to write for the sake of writing and form click bate to serve as nothing more them money for viewing there piece of writing. I don’t believe in supporting those who use the internet as a weapon when it come to giving unprofessional writers a voice on matters they have no formal training in, other the e.g.. watching a movie and having an opinion.

All in all this reading got me thinking about where I stand on my own career path heading forward and what I can offer the media industry and wither or not I myself would find freelance writing degrading or first hand experience for my resume.

Ramon Lobato and Julian Thomas, 2015, ‘Work’ in The Informal Media Economy, Polity Press, Cambridge UK, ch.3.