Writers on why they’re standing up to Hollywood: ‘this is fundamentally broken’

Six film and TV writers discuss what the industry means to them and why they are fighting for its future

More than 11,000 film and television writers went on strike this week, staging a showdown with studio executives over how much power writers will have in an increasingly digital, tech-reliant entertainment industry.

Writers say their profession has been devalued in the age of streaming, even as studio profits soar, executives rake in millions in compensation, and demand for new content remains ceaseless. In 2021, 12 of the top media and entertainment executives received about $1bn in total compensation between them. In contrast, half of writers are now receiving the minimum compensation for their jobs, their union said, compared with only a third a decade ago.