The Plight of TV Writers and the Hollywood Writer's Strike

Every piece of entertainment that I have enjoyed and will probably enjoy in the future has great writing. Right now the writers behind all of that content are on strike as they contend with an existential and real life crisis that not only affects their industry but the role of writers in our culture as well. So the strike is on, content is on pause and anyone with a vested interest in the future of writing is watching anxiously to see what happens.

The Writer's Guild of America (WGA) has gone on strike before. Back in 2007/2008, they were collectively bargaining for a higher share of DVD royalties and it lasted 100 days. As a result of that strike, many series were canceled, projects were shelved and careers were derailed. This time around, experts expect the strike will last for a similar time as disputes about residual royalties for streaming deals and the role of writers in show development are all under discussion.

I realize this story might not seem like a big deal if this isn't your industry or you don't know people involved. It is, however, the first large scale debate about the role of creative professionals since the explosion of AI generative tools. The implications for how fairly (or unfairly) writers are treated in the resolution to the strike may shape the future of content creation as well as the prospects for an upcoming generation of writers who already worry that they have "shown up at the party too late" and that the joy of being a television writer is lost forever. If that is true, it won't be long before the impact of a joyless writer's room shows up in the shows we do watch, and starts to affect us all.