On the Media

Debunking Myths About the Writers' Strike


Listen Later

On Tuesday we entered the third week of one of the largest entertainment strikes in recent memory, the first TV writer's strike since 2007. More than 11,000 people are participating in the action by the Writers Guild of America, resulting in shows like The Tonight Show and Last Week Tonight going dark. 

At the heart of the strike are concerns about the changes streamers like Netflix have presented for writer pay and career development. For one, the streamers don’t pay writers residuals, the cut of money they would traditionally get every time their show was rerun on television. Now writers are more likely to be paid for the number of days they work on any given show. But while writer's fight for a new contract some old myths are resurfacing about the strike's impact, including the idea that when writers stopped working in 2007, there was an explosion of reality tv shows. For this week's podcast extra, Brooke speaks with former TV critic turned TV writer Emily St. James about some of the less than true notions about the current strike and previous strikes and why they keep circulating. 

On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

On the MediaBy WNYC Studios

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

8,631 ratings


More shows like On the Media

View all
Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,074 Listeners

The Brian Lehrer Show by WNYC

The Brian Lehrer Show

1,538 Listeners

On Point | Podcast by WBUR

On Point | Podcast

3,892 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,875 Listeners

Political Gabfest by Slate Podcasts

Political Gabfest

8,491 Listeners

This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,644 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,121 Listeners

The Political Scene | The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

3,889 Listeners

Death, Sex & Money by Slate Podcasts

Death, Sex & Money

7,710 Listeners

Reveal by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX

Reveal

8,161 Listeners

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts by Slate Podcasts

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts

3,471 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,622 Listeners

The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

10,642 Listeners

More Perfect by WNYC Studios

More Perfect

14,462 Listeners

1A by NPR

1A

4,631 Listeners

Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

Radio Atlantic

2,275 Listeners

Spooked by KQED and Snap Studios

Spooked

16,350 Listeners

The Anthropocene Reviewed by Complexly, John Green

The Anthropocene Reviewed

9,285 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

15,916 Listeners

Dolly Parton's America by WNYC Studios & OSM Audio

Dolly Parton's America

16,354 Listeners

Radiolab for Kids by WNYC

Radiolab for Kids

1,004 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,059 Listeners