The Chompsky Weekly #68
In which I argue that climate denial is bad.
Hello everyone,
It’s been a bumper week. I’m currently on hiatus before I begin a new job so, of course, I’ve filled my spare time with work.
This week, I had my first commission from Byline Times:
Behind the scenes of British media’s climate denial
And I managed to publish a couple of pieces for Power and Pop Culture too:
Oh, and FYI, all those stans uncritically supporting Johnny Depp crowdfunded to get further documents unsealed—much of which was horribly condemning of him, AND his best mate Marylin Manson, who is about to launch a defamation case of his own in the face of overwhelming evidence he’s a deeply troubled, violent bastard (CW lower down the thread, disturbing evidence from Manson’s relationship with Wood):
It’s Friday Aug 5th, 2022
Media News
As a result of negotiation with Netflix, the US Writers Guild has won $42 million in unpaid residuals for its members. 216 writers for 139 Netflix films will receive payments, as a result of a case brough by Eric Heisserer, who was owed $850k (plus $350k in interest) for his screenplay for Bird Box. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Journalists at the Mirror will vote on whether to strike this week after rejecting a 3% pay rise offer from management in response to the cost of living crisis. Reach plc bosses Jim Mullen and Simon Fuller received pay packets of £4m and £3m last year, respectively. Union members are calling on them to give up part of their salary to pay staff wages, a move made by the FT’s editor earlier in the pandemic. (Hold the Front Page)
A new Pew survey shows that 1 in 6 journalists are part of a union, and 41% said they’d join one if the option were available. (Pew Research Center)
Despite the news that parent company Thompson Reuters expects revenue to increase by 6% this year, journalists at Reuters have been offered only a 1% pay rise, and have announced a strike for the first time in 30 years. Union members also claim that management are stalling on negotiations, after 15 suggested dates were turned down. (Reuters/Poynter)
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been ordered to pay two parents of a school shooting victim $4m in damages. (CNN)
Observer columnist Nick Cohen has been accused by multiple women of sexual harrassment and assault. His column is paused pending investigation. Journalist and presenter Lucy Siegle, the only one of the women to waive anonymity, asks in an essay If The Guardian can behave like this, how much impact has #MeToo really had? (Press Gazette/The New European)
Labor Notes journalist Jonah Furman has accused the popular NYT podcast The Daily of promoting anti-worker “propaganda” in an episode that claimed “asking for a raise is bad because it makes inflation worse. Taking a second job is good because it makes inflation better” and did not mention “corporate profiteering”. (@JonahFurman)
The French government has agreed to scrap their public television licence fee to help taxpayers with the cost of living. (The Guardian)
Following allegations of sexual misconduct and bullying by Tim Westwood during his time at BBC Radio, a barrister has been appointed to examine what the BBC knew about concerns regarding his conduct. (BBC)
Campaigns + Content
As a companion piece to the Mirror vote news, here is a piece by a local historian in Cambridge about the difference between his local paper when he used to deliver it as a teenager, and how it now operates under Reach’s ownership:
Reach PLC is damaging a historic newspaper brand – and it doesn’t need to
VFX workers in Hollywood have spoken to media outlet Defector about the ever-more crushing, deadline-cramming work of digitally altering blockbusters:
Inside Hollywood’s visual effects crisis
The RMT’s press officer John Millington has written a piece for The Journalist about the decision to put Mick Lynch in front of the cameras in a weeks-long media blitz:
Upfront approach wins over rail strike critics
Finally, Mick Lynch has plenty to say on how the media barons responded to articulate workers making their voices heard:
See you next week,
Love.Eliz