WGA East Applauds Decision to Protect Writers and Block Merger of Publishing Giants

The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), this week applauded the decision of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia blocking the proposed merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, a transaction that would reduce competition for the talent and work of writers and thereby reduce their ability to earn a reasonable living.

"We applaud the approach taken by the court, advocated by the Department of Justice, to analyze the broader impact of proposed mergers – in particular the impact on the people who do the work, in this case the writers who craft fiction and nonfiction stories," the union said in a statement. "We believe a similar analysis should apply to potential mergers of media companies in the entertainment and news business, companies that compete for the services of our members who craft fiction and nonfiction stories for the screen, television, streaming, podcasting, and other online media. The fewer the options for writers to pitch their stories, the fewer their opportunities to get hired, the harder it is for them to get paid enough to sustain their careers."