Time to Break Up Hollywood

Writer Matt Stoller frames the Hollywood writers’ strike as a battle for the essence of American entertainment. Starting with a discussion of the United Kingdom’s thriving independent production scene which can be credited to shifts in policies favoring producers and contrasting that with the United States’ declining production scene as a result of consolidation and streaming, Stoller identifies changes in the industry that have negatively impacted traditional pricing, weakened creator influence, and risked industry sustainability. Stoller stresses the strike’s importance in rectifying this imbalance, and proposes solutions to restore market signals and highlighting its wider societal impact beyond labor rights, influencing the future of American storytelling and media independence.