WGA Puts Its Writing Skills to the Test
A closer look at the Writer’s Guild of America’s public campaign and the communications tactics underpinning its effectiveness
Associate
By Katherine Scotti, Associate
The Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) powerful public campaign against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers shows no signs of decelerating as the Hollywood screenwriters’ strike enters its fourth week. WGA’s coordinated strategy to win over hearts and minds extends far beyond waving headline-grabbing posters along the picket line; its members have devised and deployed a compelling, multifaceted communications campaign that has driven sympathetic media coverage and garnered widespread support from the American public.
Why have WGA’s communications been so compelling?
First, WGA has thoughtfully developed a core narrative that i) distills complex entertainment industry jargon (e.g., residuals, writers’ room negotiations, etc.) into layman’s terms, ii) details the day-to-day impact on the livelihoods of the writers, and iii) outlines what’s needed to chart a sustainable path forward. This narrative is easy to understand, emotionally compelling, and seemingly reasonable from a business standpoint.
Equipped with a powerful narrative, WGA has expertly communicated its position through media statements, blast emails, diaries by striking writers in Hollywood Reporter, podcast appearances, and even in a formal document outlining negotiation sticking points. As made evident by the heckling of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav during his commencement speech at Boston University this weekend, public opinion seems to rest with the writers – at least for now.
Moreover, WGA’s impactful communications have appealed to the public’s grievances against corporate America. In a statement released on May 1, WGA asserted that the studios “have closed the door” on them and have “created a gig economy inside a union workforce.” And in an email to union members entitled “Our Momentum Grows,” WGA East Vice President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen explained how and why WGA’s position has resonated with the public: “Members’ individual stories of our broken system – of getting by on ten weeks of work a year, of residual checks amounting to pennies – are resonating with the public. They understand we are losing out on the middle-class American Dream. We are not the elite. We are just like them. We are them.”
Meanwhile, the studios have remained relatively quiet throughout these negotiations, and the few responses they have issued come off as vague and defensive. In a statement, the Alliance vowed that its member companies “remain united in their desire to reach a deal that is mutually beneficial to writers and the health and longevity of the industry, and to avoid hardship to the thousands of employees who depend upon the industry for their livelihoods.” Given the overwhelmingly critical reaction from the public and media, it appears this overly corporate statement rang hollow as a nothing more than a platitude, and one that has been undermined by WGA’s compelling campaign. The Alliance also released its own formal document rebutting WGA’s version of events and defending its position in detail, which received relatively scant media attention.
Will WGA’s communications make a difference?
WGA’s success in garnering widespread sympathy among the public may translate to increased pressure on studios to cut a deal that addresses the screenwriters’ concerns. But the true test will be whether the public can be galvanized to take meaningful action that forces the studios to make concessions: namely, the mass cancellation of the streaming subscriptions that sustain the studios.
WGA was smart to gain the public’s support early via an effective communications campaign, but given our insatiable appetite for new content, the question is: how long will the public support of WGA last?