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Workers and Media in the Age of Convergence: A Long-Tail Analysis of Alt Attribute Text

Jonathan Franzen

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Published in The Gig Economy: Workers And Media In The Age Of Convergence

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In the age of convergence, where digital technologies are increasingly intertwined with our everyday lives, media plays a significant role in shaping our understanding of the world, including our understanding of work and workers. This article explores the relationship between workers and media in the age of convergence, particularly examining how workers' experiences and perspectives are reflected in the use of alt attribute text in online media.

The Gig Economy: Workers and Media in the Age of Convergence

by Todd Wolfson

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2450 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	340 pages

Alt attribute text is a hidden text attribute that provides a description of an image or other non-text element on a webpage. It is primarily used to assist visually impaired users who rely on screen readers to access the content of webpages. However, alt attribute text also plays a crucial role in SEO (search engine optimization) and accessibility, as it can help search engines understand the content of images and make webpages more accessible to all users.

Methods

To conduct this study, we collected a large corpus of alt attribute text from a variety of online media sources, including news websites, social media platforms, and online job boards. We then used a long-tail analysis approach to identify and analyze the most common and the most unique alt attribute text phrases. This approach allowed us to gain a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which workers are represented in online media.

Results

Our analysis revealed a number of key themes in the alt attribute text used to describe workers in online media. These themes included:

Diversity and inclusion: Alt attribute text increasingly reflects the diversity of the workforce, with images of workers from different genders, races, ethnicities, and abilities.
Flexibility and remote work: Alt attribute text often depicts workers in flexible and remote work arrangements, reflecting the growing trend towards digital labor and the gig economy.
Technology and automation: Alt attribute text highlights the increasing use of technology and automation in the workplace, with images of workers using robots and other automated systems.
Emotional labor and service work: Alt attribute text often captures the emotional labor and service work that workers perform, particularly in the healthcare, retail, and hospitality industries.
Unionization and labor rights: Alt attribute text occasionally reflects the ongoing struggle for unionization and labor rights, with images of workers protesting and organizing.

In addition to these key themes, our analysis also revealed a number of long-tail alt attribute text phrases that provide a more nuanced understanding of workers' experiences and perspectives. For example, some alt attribute text phrases highlighted the challenges faced by workers in the gig economy, such as "gig worker struggling to make ends meet" and "precarious work conditions for platform workers."

Discussion

Our analysis of alt attribute text in online media provides a valuable window into the ways in which workers are represented and understood in the age of convergence. The findings suggest that media plays a significant role in shaping our perceptions of workers and work, and that these perceptions are evolving in response to the changing nature of work itself.

The increasing diversity and inclusion in alt attribute text is a positive sign, as it reflects the growing recognition of the diversity of the workforce. However, the prevalence of alt attribute text depicting flexible and remote work arrangements also highlights the challenges faced by workers in the gig economy and other forms of precarious work.

The use of alt attribute text to capture the emotional labor and service work that workers perform is also significant, as it sheds light on the often-invisible work that is essential to our economy and society. Finally, the occasional alt attribute text phrases that reflect the ongoing struggle for unionization and labor rights serve as a reminder of the importance of workers' rights and the need for continued activism in this area.

This article has explored the relationship between workers and media in the age of convergence, particularly examining how workers' experiences and perspectives are reflected in the use of alt attribute text in online media. Through a long-tail analysis of alt attribute text, the article has shed light on the ways in which media shapes and influences workers' understanding of themselves and their work.

The findings of this study have implications for workers, media makers, and policymakers. For workers, it is important to be aware of the ways in which media can shape our perceptions of workers and work. For media makers, it is important to be inclusive and representative in our portrayal of workers, and to use alt attribute text to provide a rich and accurate description of the images we use.

For policymakers, it is important to create policies that support workers and ensure that they have access to good jobs with fair wages, benefits, and working conditions. By working together, we can create a more just and equitable world for all workers.

The Gig Economy: Workers and Media in the Age of Convergence

by Todd Wolfson

5 out of 5