This week, thousands of writers went on strike against Hollywood studios over what they say is an existential threat to their livelihoods.

John Koblin, a media reporter for The New York Times, explains how streaming turned the most prolific era in American entertainment into an industry-changing labor dispute.

Guest: John Koblin, a media reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• The dispute, which pits 11,500 television and screenwriters against the major studios, has shattered 15 years of labor peace in the entertainment business.
• In the years since the entertainment industry’s last strike, sweeping technological change has upended the television and movie business.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.