Sex Work and COVID-19 in the New Zealand Media: Avoid the Moist Breath Zone

by Gwyn Easterbrook-Smith

Overview

New Zealand’s relatively recent decriminalisation of sex work and its unusual success in combatting COVID-19 have both attracted international media interest. This accessibly written book uses the lens of news media coverage to consider the pandemic’s impacts on both sex workers and public perceptions of the industry. Analysing the stigmatisation of sex work in both short- and long-term contexts, the book addresses the impacts of intersectional oppressions or marginalisations on sex workers, and the ways sex work advocacy relates to other social justice movements. It unpicks how New Zealand’s decriminalisation approach functions under stress, offering valuable information for advocates, activists and scholars.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781529230345
Publisher:	Bristol University Press
Publication date:	06/13/2023
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	162
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.99(h) x (d)

About the Author

Gwyn Easterbrook-Smith is a researcher based in Aotearoa New Zealand. They have most recently taught in the School of Humanities, Media and Creative Communication at Massey University, Wellington.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. Sex Work and COVID-19 in 2020 3. Sex Work and COVID-19 in 2021 4. Implications and Developments 5. Conclusion

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“A fascinating account of how decriminalisation matters for sex workers in a pandemic as seen through an analysis of media reporting.” Gillian Abel, University of Otago

“A novel and insightful account into the status sex workers are afforded in the unique decriminalised context at a time of crisis. A must-read for anyone interested in the rights of sex workers, and how they are represented in the media.” Lynzi Armstrong, Victoria University of Wellington

"While stigma continues to shape media discourse around sex work, even in the decriminalised New Zealand setting, in this book Easterbrook-Smith carefully unpacks how stigmatising discourses are unevenly applied and how these discourses were resisted and negotiated by sex workers and advocacy organisations during the COVID-19 crisis." Fairleigh Gilmour, University of Otago