Keeping the (Strike) Iron Hot:

Technology Tips for the Writers Guild to create /
maintain public awareness during the strike

Dear Writers:

I wholeheartedly support your cause, and would like to help.

In the first days of the strike, you chanted “1, 2, 3, 4, we just want to write some more.5, 6, 7, 8, Why won’t you negotiate?”.

Clever? Perhaps. On Message? Definitely! Effective? Maybe (at best).

Your job is to put words on paper. Getting those words out to the public isn’t your specialty–nor should it be. In fact, the people against whom the writers are striking are the ones with the Mega-megaphones that reach around the world. (I won't bother linking to them.)

As such, I am not surprised that the writers’ message isn’t getting out as much as it could be. Isn’t it ironic that the primary reason for the strike is that the studios and production companies aren’t willing to better compensate you for internet broadcasts of your work, and that you aren’t ALL using that astoundingly powerful (and practically free) medium to better broadcast your message?

(Wasn't that a hell of a long sentence just now?)

Not only is the internet likely to be the primary broadcast medium in the near future, but it’s going to continue to be a much more versatile means of getting a message out than television is. As many of you know, ANYONE can broadcast on the internet.

Now, about getting the word out:

The Writers Guild of America website (wga.org) offers some news, but...how does the average person know to go there?

For rates ranging from zero to 1/25th of a penny, the Writers Guild (and each of you)
could be sending e-mail newsletters to “push” your message out to te public,
draw them to the Guild’s website, and to other information sources.

“Opt-In” Newsletters have been a very effective way to PULL traffic in by PUSHing a message out.

For zero dollars, the writers you could include links to YouTube videos, and Picasa picture galleries inside those e-mail newsletters.You could link to the amazing content on sites like
The Late Night Writers On Strike site, YouTube, and Deadline Hollywood Daily.

Vertical Response gives an opportunity for those without a lot of money, but with a great cause, to get the word out. Vertical Response will also let you send a wide variety of mailings, get great reporting/statistics on how many people have seen, or opened your message, and allows you to really organize your lists effectively.

For zero dollars, you could EACH be creating a blog, displaying the kinds of writing talent that’s laying fallow. Blogs which mention The Writers Guild, the strike, or anything else related to your cause increase their visibility on the web in general, and on Google specifically.

The Guild held a rally on November 23rd. It was terrific. I had to go to the Writers Guild website to find out there had even been a rally. I went to YouTube, and sure enough, there were video excerpts from it.

How about raising money for the strike fund?
Paypal is a great conduit for contributions to the WGA strike fund! It’d allow anyone
who’s so inclined to contribute to the strike fund. Your blogs, newsletters, and links wherever you can get them, will bring in visibility and money!

There is a FANTASTIC site that David Letterman’s writers put together. It’s full of GREAT, original videos and writing, that’ll keep us HANKERING to see that great writing talent back on TV. In fact, seeing their fantastic work online may give the Letterman audience a whole new perspective on what they could expect from Letterman’s show.

Someone with the pseudonym WriterBoi created a Hip Hop Anthem for the strike.

Holly Hunter did a fabulous short called “Speechless”.

It clearly demonstrates what happens without the Writers Guild membership.

But we had to go SEARCHING for it. Publicizing something that fantastic is EASY.

You’re writers, and you’re doing a fantastic job putting together original content that gets the word out. But the word’s not going far enough! Since the studios aren’t distributing your content on TV and in movies, do it yourselves.
Some of you are doing it already. Do it more. It’s easy. All it takes is a webcam, free software, and an internet connection.


PetitionOnline.com can get your word out to
the masses, and demonstrate a show of support. (There’s already one petition to the studios, add another, or get signatures for the one that’s up there.)...Include a link to it in your blog, your newsletter.

Take your webcam and a laptop to the picket line. Most Apple notebooks of the past 3 or 4 years have built-in webcams. Stream events live! Lord knows that significantly less important things are being streamed live on the web. Some cell phones can even function as webcams.

If you want to communicate the numbers, to those who don’t understand how little the
writers want for their contribution, putting a little gadget on the website that multiplies the number of
streams/users by the pennies the writers are asking for, versus the studio’s income from those same streams might be an effective tool.

Striking blue collar workers have the same tools available that you do, but you, the writers have an astounding talent that can complement the medium so well. Demonstrate further how your talent can still be a powerful force without the networks.

My thoughts are with you.