Contrasting discourses: Digital precariat or flexible entrepreneurship? A corpus-assisted discourse analysis of platform work in German and Finnish business newspapers

Abstract

<p>Platform work as a new form of work is a globally discussed research topic in various research fields, such as social sciences, economics and labour law. Previous research identifies the significant impact platforms have on work, labour market and society. This article brings a linguistic approach to the topic, analyzing and comparing the discussion on platform work in German and Finnish business newspapers in 2017–2021. The corpus-assisted discourse analysis shows that platform work is discussed in both media partly in same contexts, such as in platform work’s effect on labour market and society, the unclear employment status and the need for stronger regulation. However, the analysis is able to tease out aspects and distinctions of platform work in the media not shown previously. Findings show that the German Handelsblatt represents platform work as a challenge to society with strong regulation requests, whereas the Finnish Kauppalehti highlights the possibilities platform work provides to entrepreneurship and labour market.<br></p>