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Boston University grads booed the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO amid the writers strike

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav stands onstage while being introduced before delivering a commencement address at Boston University, Sunday, May 21, 2023, in Boston.
Steven Senne
/
AP
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav stands onstage while being introduced before delivering a commencement address at Boston University, Sunday, May 21, 2023, in Boston.

Students at Boston University chanted "pay your writers" as Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav gave the commencement address at the institution's graduation Sunday, amid a writers strike that has been impacting the television and film industry.

Zaslav graduated from BU's law school in 1985 and was being given an honorary degree. On Sunday, he told students how important it is to be respectful and kind. But he paused several times as some students booed, chanted and turned their backs.

Before the program began, about 200 people were protesting outside Nickerson Field, the graduation venue, holding up signs that read "Protect Residuals Not CEOs" and "Private Jets But No Fair Wages," BU Today reported.

The school received backlash earlier this month when a day after the Writers Guild of America went on strike on May 2 it announced its decision to have Zaslav as the commencement speaker.

This is the union's first strike in 15 years, as it was unable to reach a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents major studios, such as Discovery-Warner, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Paramount, Sony and NBC Universal. Writers are advocating for better pay, improved residuals from streaming and guidelines about how artificial intelligence could affect writer's rooms.

"The picket is in no way meant to stop students, families, or faculty from attending the graduation ceremony, or to disrupt the ceremony," WGA East tweeted.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Ayana Archie
[Copyright 2024 NPR]

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The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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