PSA: don't believe the strike until the unions say so

In case you didn't know, a media blackout occurs when information about a certain topic is intentionally censored, sometimes voluntarily, and sometimes enforced by law. Historically speaking, news clippings are usually linked to serious events like war to prevent information leakage, but in our age of rampant "fake news" and the speed at which information can spread due to mass media social media, self-imposed news clippings can help prevent misinformation from becoming the ubiquitous narrative.

Since the start of the strikes, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA have been very transparent in their approach to negotiations. They alerted their members whenever a move took place, and they publicly posted their demands for AMPTP's counter-offers (or lack thereof) using lay terms for accessibility. So if you see anything about strike negotiations that is not directly reported by one of the unions, it is an information leak with an intentional twist to push a perspective. One of the best examples of this was yesterday when Deadline reported "We heard the strike captains and the WGA bargaining committee met on Monday to review the studios offer", only for multiple captains strike, including the writer "V/H/S/99". /director Maggie Levin to confirm that no meeting took place.

Similarly, Variety reported that the WGA was proposing a minimum of six to 12 screenwriters, while quoting an unnamed showrunner who claimed, "Nobody asked for that [...] All showrunners that I know are against it." Meanwhile, countless showrunners are tweeting the article to death with various expressions of "I asked for it," including "Hacks" co-creator Jen Statsky who said, "I'm a showrunner who is really for it and know that there have been thousands of responses to the survey from WGA members who actually asked for it."

So again, unless it comes directly from one of the unions, any information published by trade publications regarding strikes should not be taken as gospel. Let's not forget that the strikes aren't the fault of the WGA or SAG-AFTRA, but those with more power and money than a majority of members of both guilds will see in a life combined< /em> who are desperate for positive public relations.

Hit hard. Stay strong.