Labor Precarity and Gig Journalism in Latin America

Abstract

Precarity has been a longstanding, historical characteristic of newswork across Latin America. In its etymological legal origins, precarium refers to an agreement that can be withdrawn or terminated at will. Sociological studies have approached the concept of precarity as referring to unstable and insecure forms of work and employment, poor working conditions, and a process of individualization and “unease with work” that may engender new forms of subjectivities and collective action. In this sense, labor precarity can be understood in two ways: the condition of job fragility and uncertainty in the workforce, and the actual job performance that results in employment conditions such as heavier workloads, longer shifts, and poor working conditions, which have long been common in the region. This chapter discusses contemporary labor precarity in Latin American journalism, understood in the global context of sweeping employment changes in the news industries. We discuss the causes and the dimensions of labor precarity, examine consequences, and review the resilience strategies adopted by journalists to cope and survive in challenging circumstances. We do not aim to produce an exhaustive analysis of the entire region. Instead, our goal is to identify general trends and provide illustrations from a few countries that highlight broad and differentiated conditions of precarity.