From Structural Inequalities to Labor Precarity: Adoption of Digital and AI Tools in Latin American Journalism

Miguel Garcés-Prettel; Jesús Arroyave-Cabrera; Summer Harlow; Lilian Kanashiro; Mariana De Maio; Janara Nicoletti; Adriana Amado; Dasniel Olivera Pérez; Martín Oller Alonso; Celeste González de Bustamante; Maximiliano Frías Vázquez; Víctor Quintanilla-Sangüeza

doi:10.1177/10776990261471551

From Structural Inequalities to Labor Precarity: Adoption of Digital and AI Tools in Latin American Journalism

Miguel Garcés-Prettel
, Jesús Arroyave-Cabrera
, Summer Harlow
, Lilian Kanashiro
, Mariana De Maio
, Janara Nicoletti
, Adriana Amado
, Dasniel Olivera Pérez
, Martín Oller Alonso
, Celeste González de Bustamante
, Maximiliano Frías Vázquez
, Víctor Quintanilla-Sangüeza

Lima University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Contribution to Journal) › peer-review

Abstract

While inequalities in technological access and use have been widely documented, few studies have examined their link to labor precarity and social inequality in journalism in the Global South. This article analyzes this relationship through a multilevel study of Worlds of Journalism Study data from 4,250 journalists in 11 Latin American countries. Results show that macro-level inequality, measured by the Gini coefficient, is not associated with the use of advanced digital technologies, including AI, while micro-level precarity, expressed in contractual instability and excessive workloads, is. Working conditions, rather than national disparities, are key to explaining inequalities in technology adoption.

Original language	English
Journal	Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990261471551
State	Accepted/In press - 2026

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth

Keywords

artificial intelligence
digital inequality
labor precarity
Latin America
technology adoption

OECD Category

Periodismo

Access to Document

10.1177/10776990261471551

Cite this

Garcés-Prettel, M., Arroyave-Cabrera, J., Harlow, S., Kanashiro, L., De Maio, M., Nicoletti, J., Amado, A., Olivera Pérez, D., Oller Alonso, M., González de Bustamante, C., Frías Vázquez, M., & Quintanilla-Sangüeza, V. (Accepted/In press). From Structural Inequalities to Labor Precarity: Adoption of Digital and AI Tools in Latin American Journalism. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990261471551

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abstract = "While inequalities in technological access and use have been widely documented, few studies have examined their link to labor precarity and social inequality in journalism in the Global South. This article analyzes this relationship through a multilevel study of Worlds of Journalism Study data from 4,250 journalists in 11 Latin American countries. Results show that macro-level inequality, measured by the Gini coefficient, is not associated with the use of advanced digital technologies, including AI, while micro-level precarity, expressed in contractual instability and excessive workloads, is. Working conditions, rather than national disparities, are key to explaining inequalities in technology adoption.",

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author = "Miguel Garc{\'e}s-Prettel and Jes{\'u}s Arroyave-Cabrera and Summer Harlow and Lilian Kanashiro and \{De Maio\}, Mariana and Janara Nicoletti and Adriana Amado and \{Olivera P{\'e}rez\}, Dasniel and \{Oller Alonso\}, Mart{\'i}n and \{Gonz{\'a}lez de Bustamante\}, Celeste and \{Fr{\'i}as V{\'a}zquez\}, Maximiliano and V{\'i}ctor Quintanilla-Sang{\"u}eza",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2026. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).",

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Garcés-Prettel, M, Arroyave-Cabrera, J, Harlow, S, Kanashiro, L, De Maio, M, Nicoletti, J, Amado, A, Olivera Pérez, D, Oller Alonso, M, González de Bustamante, C, Frías Vázquez, M & Quintanilla-Sangüeza, V 2026, 'From Structural Inequalities to Labor Precarity: Adoption of Digital and AI Tools in Latin American Journalism', Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990261471551

TY - JOUR

T1 - From Structural Inequalities to Labor Precarity

T2 - Adoption of Digital and AI Tools in Latin American Journalism

AU - Garcés-Prettel, Miguel

AU - Arroyave-Cabrera, Jesús

AU - Harlow, Summer

AU - Kanashiro, Lilian

AU - De Maio, Mariana

AU - Nicoletti, Janara

AU - Amado, Adriana

AU - Olivera Pérez, Dasniel

AU - Oller Alonso, Martín

AU - González de Bustamante, Celeste

AU - Frías Vázquez, Maximiliano

AU - Quintanilla-Sangüeza, Víctor

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2026. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

PY - 2026

Y1 - 2026

N2 - While inequalities in technological access and use have been widely documented, few studies have examined their link to labor precarity and social inequality in journalism in the Global South. This article analyzes this relationship through a multilevel study of Worlds of Journalism Study data from 4,250 journalists in 11 Latin American countries. Results show that macro-level inequality, measured by the Gini coefficient, is not associated with the use of advanced digital technologies, including AI, while micro-level precarity, expressed in contractual instability and excessive workloads, is. Working conditions, rather than national disparities, are key to explaining inequalities in technology adoption.

AB - While inequalities in technological access and use have been widely documented, few studies have examined their link to labor precarity and social inequality in journalism in the Global South. This article analyzes this relationship through a multilevel study of Worlds of Journalism Study data from 4,250 journalists in 11 Latin American countries. Results show that macro-level inequality, measured by the Gini coefficient, is not associated with the use of advanced digital technologies, including AI, while micro-level precarity, expressed in contractual instability and excessive workloads, is. Working conditions, rather than national disparities, are key to explaining inequalities in technology adoption.

KW - artificial intelligence

KW - digital inequality

KW - labor precarity

KW - Latin America

KW - technology adoption

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105047594990

U2 - 10.1177/10776990261471551

DO - 10.1177/10776990261471551

M3 - Artículo (Contribución a Revista)

AN - SCOPUS:105047594990

SN - 1077-6990

JO - Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly

JF - Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly

ER -

From Structural Inequalities to Labor Precarity: Adoption of Digital and AI Tools in Latin American Journalism

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

OECD Category

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Journalists in Peru, insecurity in contexts of instability

Working conditions of journalists in Peru

Cartography of the news media in Peru

Cite this

From Structural Inequalities to Labor Precarity: Adoption of Digital and AI Tools in Latin American Journalism

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

OECD Category

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Journalists in Peru, insecurity in contexts of instability

Working conditions of journalists in Peru

Cartography of the news media in Peru

Cite this