How to Support the Striking Writers

By Eric on November 21, 2007

As much as it sucks for some TV shows to be canceled because of the Writers’ Strike, I’m willing to put up with reruns of The Office to support the writers. For those of you who don’t know, the Writers Guild of America is on strike against the six major media conglomerates (GE, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner, CBS, and News Corp.) because the corporations are refusing to pay writers when they reproduce their work on the internet, including in the form of full-length streaming episodes. United Hollywood, the unofficial blog of the writers’ strike, explains a little better:

Why are you on strike?
Because the conglomerates won’t make a fair deal on the internet.

Well, what do you mean by a fair deal?
We’re asking for 2.5 cents per dollar they make when they re-use our work on the internet (payment for reuse is called residuals). It’s simple – if they get paid, we get paid. If they don’t get paid, then neither do we. We also want any new work we create specifically for the internet to be covered by the WGA, so we get our health and pension benefits when we work.

What are the conglomerates offering to pay?
Zero percent — as in nothing — for streaming. .3 percent, or a third of a penny per dollar, for downloads.

Damn. I’ve watched The Office and other shows online before, and I never realized that the people who wrote it weren’t receiving a penny for their work. I’ve since decided to stop watching full-length online episodes of TV shows. I figure it’s the least I can do, but I’ve been trying to find something else I can do to show my solidarity, especially since the three top Democratic presidential candidates are doing their part by refusing to cross the picket line for a CBS debate scheduled for December 10.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way that all of us can help out.

Here’s what’s being done by fans for the WGA strike: “Now is the time to save ALL our shows. MAIL PENCILS pencils to the AMPTP and to any studios whose shows you enjoy… Maybe we can help the studios see just how much support the WGA has. And maybe, just maybe, we can give them a graceful way out (not because they’re buckling under the writers’ demands, but because they care so much about their audience. Us. And isn’t that supposed to be their job?”

I’ve already supported the writers by sending a box of pencils to the six media moguls. Will you chip in your dollar and buy a box of pencils too? If you’re not sure, maybe SNL’ s Will Forte and Kristen Wiig can convince you.

Tags: 2008, WGA, Writers Strike

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Comments

There is 1 response to “How to Support the Striking Writers”

1. Very interesting… as always! Cheers from -Switzerland-.

   —Dog training on November 25, 2007 at 12:38 pm