The Blessing of Labor Negotiations

The Writers Guild of America strike, which began in November, has had a huge impact on the television, motion picture and news media industries. It is a serious issue for writers (who generally are middle-class wage earners), and is very revealing concerning the amount of money in flux. As the Internet increasingly becomes an alternative and major conduit for transmitting programming, executives in the media are unwilling to promise future income from such sources to writers. They are, however, assuring stock holders that the revenues to come in the cyber and digital media are substantial. You can read more at the Writers Guild of America website.

My heart goes out to many of those who have seen their craft exploited and disregarded. As one who likes to write simply for fun (even if those few who read it find it painful), I can only imagine how deeply it hurts to have what you love become a bargaining chip and become the source of your greatest discouragement.

I also, however, have not been personally impacted by the alterations to television programming as some have. I am not a viewer of any television programs which require the regular input of writers, except The Office and Late Night with David Letterman. I haven't found a any other sitcom or drama series that I felt was worth my time. Instead, I enjoy watching sports, Discovery channel features, or the occasional classic movie.

I can also say, with no trace of shame, that the elimination of the standard award shows has been a genuine blessing. I watched a few painful minutes of one of those studio-produced award shows (the Golden Globes, I believe), and could not believe how excruciatingly lame it was. A film devoted to the detailed examination of each line of Microsoft's annual financial report would have been an overwhelmingly victorious competitor.

I can only pray that this strike will help to purify the media water table. During TV dormancy, the viewer/consumer has the opportunity to examine what is truly worthy of his/her time. Do the re-runs reveal how good, or how sub-par those loved shows are? Are we genuinely missing anything by instead tuning to news, history, science, or sports channels? Perhaps you will discover a new world of information. Perhaps you'll pick up a book. Or converse with your family. Or get out of the house and take a walk.

I also pray that when the issue is resolved that writers will become engaged with a renewed passion to write well. Could there possibly be more interesting topics to dominate a thirty or sixty minute program than promiscuous sex? Could this unplanned layoff help to clarify what good writing is? Good, intelligent writing drives the listener/reader inward, pushing each one to think and feel to a deeper level. It is not content with superficial laughter or tears. Good writing sheds light.

And I pray that as the entertainment industry feels a financial pinch, the relative worth of cash and human beings is weighed. Every strike, hopefully, causes everyone involved, especially high-dollar executives, to recognize the interconnectedness of business. Writing is a major cog in media machinery. Guys like Les Moonves dare not forget that.

Labor strikes can be epiphanies, providing renewed glimpses of that which is really important. It is amazing how blinded we can become to allowing dollars and cents to supersede human worth and dignity. Whether you are in control of the money pile or simply trying to grab a few coins from it, that lesson is crucial. What matters in the long term is not the health of the digital or cyber media, or the bonuses and pensions of media moguls, but the lives of men, women and children who put food on the table by their work with media outlets, and the minds and lives of those who listen to and view the content of media outlets.