News media representations of modern slavery in supply chains: a case study from the Hunter Valley 2018-2021

Exploitative labour practices such as wage theft, forced labour, trafficking and debt bondage impact millions of vulnerable people around the world. These forms of modern slavery are endemic in global supply chains. Finding a solution to these challenges is complicated by the wide range of stakeholders who consciously or inadvertently contribute to the persistence of modern slavery: consumers, legislators, company shareholders, media and workers. Legislative and community responses to worker exploitation in supply chains, such as the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) and NGO support campaigns, acknowledge these complex stakeholder relationships. This thesis analyses news media representations of modern slavery to evaluate its potential impact on public awareness of modern slavery in supply chains in the Hunter Valley. The findings show an underrepresentation in news media of the role that consumers might play in addressing modern slavery in supply chains. This is because exploitation of workers through supply chains is generally presented in a way that does not reflect the idea that cumulative consumer action could remedy aspects of these issues.