Discourses on the Mediatization of the Office

The project focuses on the relationship between work and changes in media technology, a con- nection that is known as the mediatization of work. The research looks at how offices and workspaces are influenced by new communication technologies like computers or smartphones and related applications such as virtual meetings. In particular, the study analyzes so-called media discourses on the mediatization of the office. The term media discourse describes the way media address and discuss topics. The aim of this investigation is to understand how news- papers and magazines write about the changes in offices from the computerization of offices in the 1980s to the present day. It is assumed that these discourses have an impact on how people think about certain subjects and how they act, which in turn influences society. The study answers the following questions: How does the media discuss the changes in office spaces? How does the media address the technological changes over time? What kinds of ideas about people and society are present in these media discourses? Who are the actors participating in these discourses? Whose voices are not being heard? What power dynamics, differences in social status, and inequalities can be found in these discourses? What do these discourses say about the future of work? To answer these questions, articles in newspapers, magazines, and advertisements that deal with the subject of how technology is changing offices and workspaces are analyzed. This is con- ducted using the methodological approach of discourse analysis. This research is unique because while there is a lot of research on the changes in the workspace from different angles, no substantial effort has been made to explore media discourses on that topic. This study helps us understand how offices have changed historically along with the use of digital media and how this topic is discussed in the media. Since media discourses can shape how society changes, it is important to understand the ideas and power dynamics in these dis- courses.