For many years, with the help of politicians from all parties, the Australian media have pushed a dangerous line, claiming that people who access government support – especially the unemployed – are undeserving of their payments, and choose not to search for work. This ‘dole bludger’ rhetoric has meant that punishing unemployed Australians has become politically popular; with the government forcing Jobseeker recipients to jump through demeaning hoops to receive a payment that has only increased once since 1994, which is not even enough to pay for rent in most capital cities.

For our assignment, we examined the stigma surrounding the Jobseeker Allowance, and debunked some of the misconceptions that created this reputation. We produced a piece to camera, which was presented as a live cross between a host and a humanised representative of ‘Jobseeker’. The host’s script was written to emulate a tabloid shock jock, using actual quotes about Jobseeker from Australian politicians. We also created a number of lighthearted posters that were designed to inform the general public about the true purpose of Jobseeker, as well as showing potential recipients how to apply for it. These artifacts were combined with an Instagram account for infographics about the allowance, and the ways that politicians and the media have manipulated the conversations around it.