Public Relations is Providing an Enormous Voice to Writers on Strike
On May 1, 2023 the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed to reach a deal on a new minimum bargaining agreement. Writers demand more money as streaming is lowering the pay of writers who write for streaming services. Studios believe that the guild is asking for too much and did not want to grant them their desires.
Writers declared they would go on strike on May 2, 2023. They took their picket signs to studios such as Sony, Warner Bros and other studios to protest. Actors like Rob Lowe and Brett Goldstein came to the protests to support Hollywood writers.
The strike has led to a pause in production of TV shows and movies. Reruns are being played on TV until a new deal is reached. Reruns are not producing more money for the studios. Instead, studios are losing money as AMPTP is struggling to reach a new deal with WGA.
Five late-night talk show hosts have teamed up to form their own podcast called “Strike Force Five.” These hosts are Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver. The purpose of the podcast is to support their fellow writers and employees.
The podcast has given the writers a public face to increase public sympathy for the strike. “Strike Force Five” highlights the writers' strike and provides insight into the experiences of important people working in the entertainment industry. The staff of hosts discuss other topics including the five hosts’ experiences in the entertainment industry.
I am currently working as a screenwriter and a college student. I have a good understanding of why the writers have decided to go on strike. It is not easy to do screenwriting and consumes a lot of time.
It is not fair how writers who write for streaming services are getting paid less. They work weeks, months and sometimes years to write a fascinating show or movie. Writers also read their scripts multiple times to make sure it is well-written. They even lose sleep just to write scripts and they are not getting paid enough.
I feel like writers don't get a lot of credit for their work. People watch shows and movies without fully appreciating the person who wrote the script.
Luckily, “Strike Force Five” is putting a good spotlight on writers to show people what they are going on strike for and how the entertainment industry relies heavily on writers.
The first episode of Strike Force Five was released to streaming services. (Instagram: StrikeForceFive)