Twenty-First International Conference on Technology, Knowledge, and Society

Abstract

Computerization has profoundly transformed the world of work. Media and communication studies describe the interplay between work and evolving media technologies as the “mediatization of work.” This shift affects not only work processes but also the design and use of workspaces. One major change is the overlap of physical and virtual office spaces, exemplified by the rise of home offices supported by Wi-Fi and digital conferencing tools. Flexible workplace concepts, workspaces for vacation trips (workation), and public work hubs like those in train stations further illustrate the growing potential for location-independent work enabled by digital technologies. Against this backdrop, the office emerges as a focal point of the mediatization of work. This paper explores media discourses surrounding the mediatization of the office from the 1980s onward. Using Reiner Keller’s Sociology of Knowledge Approach to Discourse, it analyzes how the transformation of the office—shaped by technological, social, economic, and political factors—has been represented and negotiated in newspapers and magazines. The research operates on the premise that discourses not only reflect reality but actively contribute to its construction. Preliminary findings show that early discourses were critical of computer and network technologies, fearing job losses due to automation. Throughout the time, media coverage became more positive, portraying digital media as enablers of flexible work processes and spatial settings. This shift also highlighted productivity gains and efficiency, aligning with a neoliberal discourse of self-responsibility. Despite this, critical perspectives, such as concerns about the always-on working mentality, persist.