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Im very, very proud to have been part of the Nieman Lab family.
Despite the move, nothing else really changes with Hot Pod.
Also, my work onServant of Podcontinues.
More on that later.
In the meantime, send me your picks and press releases.
One last thing before we move on.
A reviewof Serial ProductionsNice White Parents.
Thats a whole lot of nomenclature, and for a more formal write-up,head over to The Verge.
But lets not gloss over Audibles notoriously on-again off-again history with original podcast-style content.
(Similar critiques have been levied at Spotify for its own use of exclusivity around podcast programming.)
Because if theres anything millennials and Gen Zers like, its Newt Gingrich.
(An email I received at the time read: Can they do that?)
That such a company, particularly one that was venture-backed, was unionizing felt radically unexpected.
Gimlet wouldnt be the only podcast concern whose staffers would unionize that season.
Both unions were eventually recognized, and both are now in the bargaining phase.
Still, unions in podcasting is a very new concept.
Lowell Peterson: Were working with at least a dozen unionizing podcast shops.
Were also talking to a lot of other companies in the podcast space.
They dont typically work in dramas or comedies, though we are working to organize in that space too.
Of course, the podcast space is growing, as Im sure youre very aware of.
As the work gets more intense, I think people recognize they want the benefits of unionization.
Peterson: Honestly, its a bit of both.
We also represent a lot of people in digital and broadcast news, and those fields arereallyin flux.
It used to be that you could work for the same company your entire adult life.
Thats not true anymore.
A lot of people are hired on a project by project basis or per diem basis.
Were also finding that theres some variation from company to company.
Other companies are more production-specific.
So were trying to grasp the best way to represent writer-producers in both models.
HP: Could you walk me through specifically what WGAE does in the organizing process?
Peterson: So, the process is very member-driven.
We also have a very talented organizing staff who knows how to help them, if they need it.
We encourage the actual employees at the company to take ownership of the organizing campaign.
We bring the solidarity of the people at a large union.
We let them know that theyll be joining a real professional community of creative professionals.
Will you c’mon do this voluntarily?
Almost always, the company says okay.
Theyre not ringing church bells or singing huzzah!
or anything, but more often than not, they recognize the union.
HP: Has there been any hostility, though?
Peterson: I would say thats right.
There have been some important exceptions, but I think unfamiliarity is the right word.
They have a generalized sense of what the labor movement means, but they dont really know.
Many of these companies are really new, and their own HR experience is pretty limited.
In most cases, its been a pretty productive experience for managers, I think.
Now, there has been some hostility.
Hearst, for example, fought us tooth and nail.
That was an actively hostile company, butwe prevailedand were going to start negotiations soon.
This has to do with the organizing model we use.
I dont want to be corny and say resistance is futile… but it is.
We do the patient work of organizing in advance.
HP: What have been the more consistent issues that have popped up in the organizing efforts?
Or are there major differences from shop to shop?
Peterson: There are definitely themes, though there are certainly specific issues at specific shops.
Sometimes job roles were improvised when they shouldnt be.
Another major theme is having a voice in big decisions, and thats related to transparency.
They want to have some ability to participate in the decision making on basic workplace issues.
I would say equity and inclusion issues pop up at every shop.
Podcasts are just better when you have more voices and more experiences engaged in writing and producing them.
So those are the main ones.
Obviously, pay rates and benefits are important to everybody as well.
HP: Has intellectual property been a big part of those conversations?
Peterson: Yes, absolutely.
I will say its been tough.
Its an uphill battle.
Intellectual property issues have featured heavily in all of our negotiations.
HP: How has the pandemic affected membership and the organizing process?
Our membership continues to grow.
Weve spent a lot of time trying to negotiate protocols that keep people safe.
Were seeing increased interest in organizing.
Weve been able to have lots of meetings with lots of people who do this work.
But again, I think that anxiety is only part of why were seeing an increased eagerness.
Its also because organizing is a way to have a voice.
Im pleased that people are eager.
Its also nice to welcome folks into the broader Writers Guild community.
Our members are really excited about welcoming new voices, new members, and new perspectives.
Were very excited and enthusiastic about the podcast world.
Lowell Peterson is the executive director of the Writers Guild of America East.
you’ve got the option to visit the WGAEs websitehere.
How Has the Pandemic Affected Physical Podcast Spaces?
ByCaroline Crampton
Building out a physical space associated with a podcast business used to be a really good idea.
Its also a really good fit for any podcast operation built on a sense of community.
Or at least, it was a good idea, until, you know, the pandemic.
He told me that the ventures business model and whole way of working had been upended overnight.
The studio has suddenly gone from being the companys biggest asset to being their biggest headache.
Things were slightly more hopeful with Alan Bennett, who runsthe HeadStuff networkandThe Podcast Studiosin Dublin.
Were hoping that this will help big and small podcasts [on the connection], Maguire said.
Two things stand out to me about this conversation.
Anyway, thats tomorrows episode.
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