The labor problem in the local press: A qualitative study on the personal rights and working conditions of intellectual workers in Antalya

By its very nature, the local press focuses on the needs and problems of a specific community, thereby possessing a significant capacity to influence the resolution of those problems. This thesis examines the inadequacies in employment rights, economic difficulties, working conditions, and job satisfaction of intellectual laborers employed in the local press, which stands out as one of the essential elements of democracy through its public-oriented approach. Within the scope of the study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the employees of 11 local newspapers based in central Antalya, who agreed to participate and had no connection with media ownership. Interviews with the staff of five of these newspapers were carried out before the respective outlets decided to shut down. The analysis focuses on the problems experienced by 32 intellectual laborers who participated in the study, such as job satisfaction, harsh working conditions, low wages, work-related stress, and their stance toward trade unions. The questions asked aimed to reveal the rights violations and problems faced by intellectual laborers working in the local press. In this context, the thesis documents that the provisions of the Press Labor Law and contractual agreements are not fully implemented. While the problems experienced by intellectual laborers are seen to be connected with the broader problems of the local press, solving the issues of the local press first requires solving the problems of intellectual laborers; and solving the problems of intellectual laborers first requires identifying them.