Journalists — especially ones in entertainment and media criticism — should stand in solidarity with the Writers Guild of America strike, which over 97% of the union’s membership voted in favor of in mid-April. Per the strikers, guild members will not be writing or delivering materials for production studios and companies until a fair contract can be reached. 

The WGA says “Writers are facing the most comprehensive assault on compensation and working conditions that they have seen in a generation.”

Wages for writers for streaming services have been undercut by studio executives earning more and more profits.

Similarly, for journalists, too, layoffs have been part of the headlines amid a wave of digital media companies shuttering for several reasons, like financial mismanagement at the hands of executives who, in some cases, don’t admit culpability — like Buzzfeed’s CEO deciding not to step down. 

As journalists at unionized and unionizing newsrooms across the country fight for fair contracts, including proper compensation for work, it’s crucial to acknowledge the parallels between our industry and that of screenwriters, and the ways our respective labor is exploited. 

Reporter Daric Cottingham echoed one-way journalists can play a role in the strike, arguing that it should directly influence how critics and entertainment reporters cover stories.

Guild member and TV writer Franchesca Ramsey wrote that supporters should amplify WGA West and WGA East’s work and social media posts, among other ways to support them (not necessarily by refraining from streaming their favorite TV shows and films). 

The WGA represents joint organizing by WGA East and WGA West, which organized strikes as early as 1960 to demand better wages, fairer contracts, and stable employment. The last time writers went on strike was in 2007-08, halting production on several TV shows and films; in one instance, Dean Schrader’s character on Breaking Bad (Hank Norris) wasn’t able to be written out of the show due to the lack of writers to do so.

Journalists can amplify the WGA strike actions, like pickets in front of studios, and demands. Reporters should also detail the rise in executive pay, studio profits, and streaming service growth in entertainment media, highlighting for readers the disparity between executive pay — and executive job stability — and that of writers in the industry.

Critically, the WGA strike has refocused attention on that pay disparity. Journalists should not hesitate to take that opportunity to challenge mainstream discourse on the media industry and the strikers' demands. 

—Nawar Nemeh

The food media “reckoning”: All the pieces from our food media magazine are now online! You can get your own print copy by signing up to support our work. Read more.

Political “polarization” isn’t the real problem in America: For Salon, Paul Rosenberg covers a new paper analyzing the state of polarization research in America, and how the tacit portrayal of a “golden era” of American politics ignores that such an era was never “golden” for many still-marginalized groups. Read more.

Anti-trans propaganda comes to NPR: Assigned Media’s Evan Urquhart (who’s also written for The Objective) covers and debunks the legitimization of narratives against gender-affirming care through a recent NPR interview. Read more.

The face of cable news has shifted: In the span of an hour, Tucker Carlson was fired from FOX, as anchor Don Lemon was from CNN. The decisions come in the midst of lawsuits and documented experiences of misogyny. Read more.

Vice potentially headed for bankruptcy: The digital media company has struggled to get a buyer and is likely to file bankruptcy in coming weeks, reports the New York Times. The news comes just a week after the company shuttered its video game vertical, Waypoint, and closed Vice World News. Read more.

For Bluesky to thrive, it needs sex workers and Black Twitter: As Twitter founder Jack Dorsey aims to get Bluesky, a server on social media platform Mastodon off the ground, he’ll need to make it safe enough for marginalized communities to hang out there instead of Twitter, argues TechCrunch’s Morgan Sung. Read more.

6 days until ... Mobile Journalism, a virtual event through the National Press Club about "telling big stories with small cameras."

10 days until … the AIR New Voices application is due. The program, meant for anyone interested in audio storytelling and its potential, offers a $1,000 stipend along with six months of professional development trainings and concentrated mentorship. An information session is being held May 10.

18 days until ... the deadline to apply for LinkedIn Premium for Journalists. Working journalists have the opportunity to secure a free LinkedIn Premium membership for a year to help them use the website to its fullest.

Looking for a job? Here are a few places to look: INN | ONA | JournalismJobs.com | 10 Jobs and a Dog | NABJ | AAJA | NAHJ | NLGJA | @WritersofColor | MEO Jobs | Freelance Journalist Rates | Source Jobs | Opportunities of the Week ($) | West Coast Media Jobs

How about a style guide? Trans Journalist Association | Diversity Style Guide | Tribal Nations Media Guide | NABJ Style Guide | Disability Language Style Guide | AAJA Guide to Covering Asian Pacific America | NAHJ Cultural Competence Handbook |  SPJ Race & Gender Hotline | AMEJA Media Resource Guide | The Press in Prison | The Conscious Style Guide

Thanks for reading. We’ll have more for you soon. 

This issue is by Nawar Nemeh with editing by Curtis Yee, James Salanga, and Jen Ramos Eisen.