The Writer’s Guild of America notified its screenwriters that the union will be sitting down with studio representations on Friday to restart talks after a three-month standoff. According to The New York Times, “the meeting represents the first sign of movement in a stalemate that began in early May after negotiations between the writers and studios fell apart.” Actors joined the picket lines in July, with both groups raising concerns about their compensation levels and working conditions, as streaming content has changed the scripted media landscape.
Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer insight, commentary and analysis on the ongoing strikes, negotiations, and current state of business in Hollywood. If you would like to speak with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations Specialist Cate Douglass at [email protected].
Jesse. J Holland is the associate director and an assistant professor at the GW School of Media and Public Affairs. He is an award-winning journalist and the author of the first novel featuring comics’ most popular black superhero, The Black Panther. In Black Panther: Who Is The Black Panther?, Holland retells the classic origin of T’Challa, the original Black Panther, and updates it for the new century, giving new fans and longtime die-hard aficionados a good platform and some inside information for the “Black Panther” movie from Marvel Studios. He is an accomplished novelist, having also been trusted by Lucasfilm to chronicle the history of their newest black hero in the Star Wars young adult novel, Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Finn's Story.
In addition to fiction, Holland is an award-winning nonfiction author and a former Race & Ethnicity Reporter at the Associated Press in Washington, D.C, where he also served as a White House, Supreme Court and Congressional reporter.
Patricia Phalen is the assistant director and an associate professor at the GW School Media and Public Affairs. Phalen brings over 25 years of experience researching the intersection of media, culture, and human behavior. A lifelong interest in writing about human life experiences that captivate, inspire and offer thought-provoking conversations has led her to work in academia, television, and government. Her academic research focuses on the economic sociology of mass media organizations, particularly the various occupational cultures at work in television production.
Phalen teaches courses at GW such as Hollywood & Politics and Media Organizations & Audiences. Her areas of expertise include politics and popular culture, Hollywood television production, women in media and audience research.
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