Does it reach everybody? Of course not. But it’s a sight better than what they had before. The percentages vary based on who exactly’s being polled, of course, but I have yet to see a single poll on the matter that isn’t favorable to the writers’ side of the cause. Usually it’s something like 61% in favor of the writers, 35% not sure or pissed at both sides, and 4% in favor of the AMPTP.

Of course, it would be a lot better if traditional media were being less biased in its reporting. But any rant I might deliver on the state of traditional media should wait for another post.

If the people reporting on the strike wanted to generate compassion for the WGA then it they would. Instead, they frame it as if the writers are greedy and lazy so thats the impression the public gets stuck in their heads. The media companies want more profits (which is natural) so its no surprise that they help each other by framing the problem in a way that makes them look the best. There’s not a financial reason for one of the “news” shows to depict the WGA strike in favorable terms. Big corps don’t help unions as a general rule, even if those unions are in a different industry.

As a test, while visiting my family over the weekend, I asked them about the strike. Did they know what the writers wanted? No one knew the whole story. Some knew their was an increase in the royalties for DVDs involved (but not how much). Some knew about alternate forms of media and its impact. All of their reactions were either ambivalent or negative. Explain it to them in a way they understand and they would be supportive. They already understand the concept of companies screwing over their workers. What they are missing and there’s little incentive to give them is the human connection between the writers and themselves.

Unfortunately, you still have sports fans who think they can do better than the pros or go into hysterics when someone makes a mistake on an “easy” play so its no wonder people think that writing isn’t a job.

That’s exactly the issue I was pondering when I wrote “We All Use Language, But . . . .” for my own website. Short form is, since writing doesn’t involve any immediately obvious skill-set the average person doesn’t already have — after all, they know how to use a pen and/or keyboard, and are fluent in the English language or other local idiom — it’s easy to underestimate the degree of craft that goes into what we do, and to think, “oh, I could do that.”

As far as the slush piles go, I’m not sure that experience produces sympathy, exactly. Envy, resentment, confusion, disillusionment, and the occasional bit of appalled understanding, maybe. But the vanity presses are good proof of how many people, upon being rejected, do not think “wow, now I understand what the successful ones have gone through;” instead, they think “why can’t I get published like they did?”

Although with the size of the slush piles at every major house and a lot of small presses, you would think there must be more people out there who are sympathetic to writers.

Since I write far less thn 1000 words an hour, I’m not sure I like the payscale much either.