Thursday, November 08, 2007

WGA Strike

Support your television writers!

Got this email this morning from a member of a board I frequent and thought I'd pass the tips along to you:

1. Write- write your newspaper, write a major newspaper/magazine, call into a radio show,
and say what you think. The media conglomerates that the writers are striking AGAINST
are the ones who control the news... guess the coverage they are getting.

2. Postpone your DVD purchases, iTunes downloads, movie going experiences until AFTER
the strike is settled. Find the other stuff to do, (say, buy and read a book- THOSE writers
get something... )

3. Kinda like one- write in your webspaces- got a Myspace page? Post a blog about it. GOt
a blog? Well, this one is pretty self-explanatory... Other messageboards you visit, let them
know! Post a YouTube video... You get the gist, (no spamming though- we know that's a
quickie backfire)

4. Let people know- the news coverage this is getting is insulting- most of the reports are
so biased that the presidential coverage on Fox looks fair and balanced in comparison...
When you hear random person 6 talking about how the writers are greedy fraks, let them
know the truth, about how little they are asking for, (a quarter of a percent for "new
media" residuals), instead of the talking points the conglomerates are putting out on their
news-mouthpieces...

5. DON'T watch their online versions- those ads, the ones you can't fast forward through,
are the cashey-money they "aren't" getting to pay the writers... Yeah, let's NOT give them
more free money like that.

6. WRITE the writers on your favorite shows- let them know you support them and
appreciate the work they do, (heck, that'd make their day anyways, you know?)

7. WRITE (and/or phone) the networks/studios/conglomerates
- tell them you support the
union, that they should settle & BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH, and that you're boycotting them
(and in the conglomerate's cases, feel free to add in their other divisions...)

8. Revise your Holiday plans/shopping lists to reflect #7 & #2...

9. Print a little "Support the WGA" sign and stick it on your officespace/window... Maybe
with a sheet elaborating on the demands of the WGA, (helps promote #4)

10. Write the sponsors & boycott them as well.

11. Contact Nick Counter at the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television
Producers) with your complaints about the strike, and where you stand and that you WILL
be boycotting them and their sponsors. BUT KEEP IT CLEAN, if firm...
15503 Ventura Boulevard, Encino, CA 91436
(818) 995-3600. (Call them when your cell minutes are free if need be- voicemail )
http://www.amptp.org/contactus.html

2 comments:

-S- said...

All of the media that I've seen/heard on the issue (which is not much) have been pro-writers. I certainly haven't heard anyone refer to the writers as "greedy".

SerenitySprings said...

Actually, both the producer's & directors guilds have called them greedy. I can't remember their official names but I think I read that at CNN.com yesterday or the day before. The writers currently get 4 cents per dvd set sold and they want 8 cents and those other guilds said that was ridiculous, etc., and that the writers should stop being so greedy.