The Writer’s Guild of America has been on strike since early May over labor disputes due to poor compensation. The strike has paused numerous film and television productions and revealed how unfairly the entertainment industry has been treating its writers in recent years.
Two weeks ago, Emerson’s daily news website, Emerson Today, published a statement from the president’s office titled: “Statement: Emerson College Values Writers and Writing.” The statement reads:
Emerson College prepares exceptional students for careers in communication and the arts. We are proud of the diverse accomplishments of our graduates, including those who apply their talent as writers and creators.
Storytelling through words on film has existed since the early 1900s and continues to play a significant role in today’s society. During this period of rapid changes in media and technology, we raise our voices in staunch support of professional writers and the human experience that makes great writing possible. We support the rights of writers to express their opinions freely, and we acknowledge their critical contributions to the media and the entertainment industry.
Creativity and creation are cornerstones of the Emerson College experience. We take great pride in our alumni who move the world with their words.
While I’m grateful that our new president, Dr. Jay Bernhardt, and his colleagues feel some semblance of thanks for an often underappreciated role, their appeal comes off as vague and underwhelming. Instead of mentioning the writer’s strike or the welfare of writers, our fearless leaders only “raise our voices” at the problem: they love the work of writers, but they do not care about the lives of writers.
This half-assed “thank you” doesn’t come as a surprise. This year, Emerson College honored Warner Brothers executive Pamela Abdy at the commencement ceremony. Abdy is the co-chair and CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures Group. Warner Brothers was recently blasted for David Zaslav’s ridiculous $250 million dollar salary in the face of this strike. The recognition of a Warner Bros. higher-up at Emerson’s commencement was met with organized protests from alumni and members of the WGA.
This begs the question: does Emerson College truly value writers fighting for fair treatment and pay? I’m happy that our president’s office “take(s) great pride in our alumni who move the world with their words.” But does the president’s office care if writers are paid their fair share? Do they care to mention that Emerson students, myself included, are about to enter the workforce knowing we will have to fight tooth and nail to make a living for our art?
The truth of the matter is that if you’re asking students to spend upwards of seventy thousand dollars per year at an arts school, you should at least pretend to care about how we can make a living post-graduation.
In writing this, I’m grateful that our school will “support the rights of writers to express their opinions freely, and acknowledge their critical contributions to the media and the entertainment industry,” but how tangible are these opinions?
Students are frightened by the future—we are frightened by the development of AI and the blatant disrespect potential employers are showing us. Seeing our educators refuse to acknowledge these sentiments is honestly disgusting.
I urge Dr. Bernhardt to reconsider our school’s stance on the writer’s strike. Given the spirit of things, he should consider a rewrite, maybe gather a writer’s room of sorts. Hopefully, they will come to the conclusion that a good deal for the WGA is a good deal for the students of Emerson College.
