美国国家公共电台 NPR--Why writers are having a hard time earning a living in the streaming economy

Why writers are having a hard time earning a living in the streaming economy

Transcript¹

The Writers Guild² of America is on strike. NPR's A Martinez talks to Paul Hardart, professor at NYU Stern's business school, about how the content boom driven by streaming has changed the dynamics³.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Members of the Writers Guild of America are on strike, and they say they can't make a living writing for the streaming platforms. We wanted to understand how the streaming services are different and how the strike might change the streaming industry. Paul Hardart is a professor at the NYU Stern School of Business. Earlier in his career, he was a Hollywood executive.

Paul, so why does working for a streaming studio like, say, Netflix change a writer's ability to make a living?

PAUL HARDART: Oh, it's a really good question. I think the main difference is it used to be that the incentives⁴ were linked. So the writers and the studios were trying to get people to watch the show and get high ratings and get people to pay attention to the show. Today, the streamer is trying to get people to subscribe⁵ to their service, so they're looking more at the aggregate⁶ of the service versus⁷ the individual show.

MART?NEZ: And the shows are typically - what? - like, eight episodes, right? Not a typical network show that's - what? - 20 something.

HARDART: Yeah. And if you think of your own habits - right? - some of the shows that are popular now have big stars. And they go for maybe four, five, seven, eight episodes or, if it's a series, may only last for two to three seasons versus if you had a popular show in the past, it could go for as many as 10 or 12 seasons.

MART?NEZ: So then given how many streaming services are struggling to show profits, how could studios then pay writers more, I mean, even if they wanted to, Paul?

HARDART: You know, I think the way it's changed is most of these streaming services focus on a metric called ARPU, which is the average revenue per user. You know, they're more aligned⁹ with how the overall service is doing. And so I think what's happened is the technology has fundamentally changed how the studios do business. And therefore - and that's also changed how we consume - consumers consume content. And that's led to a totally different paradigm¹⁰. So I think the strike is basically an indication that the world has shifted and that a new paradigm has to be developed.

MART?NEZ: If the streaming services - say they just - like, tomorrow they decided¹¹ we're going to pay the writers more. How would that change things for the viewers? Would there be fewer scripted shows? Would there be more reality shows?

HARDART: Well, you are looking at things - the increase of sports or unscripted television. But I think, you know, humans and human nature, since the dawn of time, love stories that are written by creative concepts that sort of reflect our humanity. So I don't think that's going away. I think we just have to rethink how we are compensating¹² the writers that are coming up with these amazing ideas.

MART?NEZ: Have we been systematically¹³, Paul, over the years, conditioned to maybe adopt a streaming model as a way we watch our television. You know, I mentioned earlier how typically series on network television were 20 something episodes, and now we're getting used to eight. Are we kind of used to the way things are now and not really pining for the way things used to be?

HARDART: Well, I do think - I think of our own, you know, individual behavior. I think - and this has also, you know, sort of accelerated during the pandemic is - you know, there's so many demands on our attention, whether it's TikTok, whether it's podcasting. And so I think there's so much choice that to get our attention and hold our attention has become increasingly difficult.

MART?NEZ: Yeah, 'cause I got to admit, Paul, I'm clicking more on the short series than anything longer than eight episodes. So, I mean, I'm kind of contributing to these shorter series, meaning that these writers are getting paid not as much as they would be.

HARDART: Exactly. And that's sort of the challenge. So I think whatever the negotiations¹⁴ involve, they have to address that the world has changed. And you see that even as, you know, AI has been sort of in the public domain¹⁵ for about six months. And that's already something that's a grave concern to the Writers Guild. So you can see, even in the process of negotiating, the world is changing. So I think it's sort of an interesting time. And again, we do have to sort of look at - there's huge amounts of money being spent on content, and there just needs to be a new way of thinking about how people are compensated¹⁶ that basically align⁸ interests.

MART?NEZ: One more quick thing, Paul. Why would the studios be willing to take these negotiations to where we are now? I mean, what upside is it for them?

HARDART: It's a great question. I think - you know, I think both parties would love there not to be a strike, but it's brinksmanship.

MART?NEZ: Good enough answer as any other. Hollywood - former Hollywood executive Paul Hardart is a professor at the NYU Stern School of Business.

Paul, thanks.

HARDART: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 guild   

n.行会，同业公会，协会

参考例句：

• He used to be a member of the Writers' Guild of America.他曾是美国作家协会的一员。
• You had better incorporate the firm into your guild.你最好把这个公司并入你的行业协会。

3 dynamics   

n.力学，动力学，动力，原动力；动态

参考例句：

• In order to succeed,you must master complicated knowledge of dynamics.要取得胜利，你必须掌握很复杂的动力学知识。
• Dynamics is a discipline that cannot be mastered without extensive practice.动力学是一门不做大量习题就不能掌握的学科。

4 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 subscribe   

vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助

参考例句：

• I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。
• The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。

6 aggregate   

adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合

参考例句：

• The football team had a low goal aggregate last season.这支足球队上个赛季的进球总数很少。
• The money collected will aggregate a thousand dollars.进帐总额将达一千美元。

7 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

8 align   

vt.使成一线，结盟，调节；vi.成一线，结盟

参考例句：

• Align the ruler and the middle of the paper.使尺子与纸张的中部成一条直线。
• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals.有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。

9 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

10 paradigm   

n.例子，模范，词形变化表

参考例句：

• He had become the paradigm of the successful man. 他已经成为成功人士的典范。
• Moreover,the results of this research can be the new learning paradigm for digital design studios.除此之外，本研究的研究成果也可以为数位设计课程建立一个新的学习范例。

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 compensating   

补偿，补助，修正

参考例句：

• I am able to set up compensating networks of nerve connections. 我能建立起补偿性的神经联系网。
• It is desirable that compensating cables be run in earthed conduit. 补偿导线最好在地下管道中穿过。

13 systematically   

adv.有系统地

参考例句：

• This government has systematically run down public services since it took office.这一屆政府自上台以来系统地削减了公共服务。
• The rainforest is being systematically destroyed.雨林正被系统地毀灭。

14 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

15 domain   

n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围

参考例句：

• This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
• This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。

16 compensated   

补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款）

参考例句：

• The marvelous acting compensated for the play's weak script. 本剧的精彩表演弥补了剧本的不足。
• I compensated his loss with money. 我赔偿他经济损失。