Taxi Drivers as Reporters

Studying the Distinctive Journalism of the UTCC Voice Newsletter

Bibliographic Data

ID12658352
AuthorsKrishnan Vasudevan (0000-0001-9001-135X, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA, corresponding author)
Year2019
Volume20
Issue16
Pages2443-2459
Publication date2019-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournalism Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1461-670X • E-ISSN: 1469-9699
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1461670x.2019.1601028
OpenAlexW2932265727
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited27

Taxi driving is an arduous form of labor, occupied by a largely immigrant workforce in major US cities such as Chicago and New York. Taxi drivers barely scrape by and in recent years community organizations and unions have advocated for this marginalized social group through civic action and media production. This study examined eight years of the UTCC Voice, a bi-monthly newsletter published by the United Taxiworkers Community Council of Chicago. The original reporting and commentary in the newsletter closely aligned with the UTCC’s organizing efforts to receive a seat the table with city government and its subsequent struggle to advocate for a level playing field with ride-hailing companies. The grounded analysis of over 250 articles in twenty-six issues of the UTCC Voice reveals the newsletter as a space for taxi drivers to report on human rights abuses against them, develop a cohesive voice and identity, and present themselves as multidimensional citizens in ways that counter existing stereotypes based on race and class. Examination of the UTCC Voice presents renewed context for scholarship about voice, cultural production from the margins and citizenship

Advertising · Business · Journalism · Media studies · Political science · Sociology · Media Studies and Communication · Psychology

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