Banning bad reviews undermines the very purpose of reviews

In an interview with Poynter back at the beginning of November, BuzzFeed book editor Isaac Fitzgerald said that the site will not include negative reviews. "Why waste breath talking smack about something? You see it in so many old media-type places, the scathing takedown rip. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all". Is this the right attitude to adopt? I won't even pretend that this is a rhetorical question. It is absolutely the wrong attitude, and any publication that adopts it does both itself and its readers a disservice. Of course, Fitzgerald was talking specifically about… [Continue Reading] Continue reading at 'Betanews'

[ Betanews | 2013-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]

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Google Threatens French Media With Search Engine Ban

Yesterday will not be remembered as a great day in Google's history. As well as the vertiginous stock slide, which sliced 9% off its share value before trading was halted for a couple of hours, the search engine firm threatened war with the French media. L'horage dans le teacup is over a... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2012-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite receives rave reviews

Called 'the best e-reader you can buy,' the Paperwhite has debuted to almost universal praise. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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More reviews predicted in travel sector

Industry insiders are predicting further restructures across the travel sector, following news... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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First reviewers highlight J K Rowling's politics

Mixed reviews for J K Rowling's The Casual Vacancy (Little, Brown) this morning (27th... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chinese authorities ask booksellers to ban Japanese works

The government is also pressuring Chinese publishers to stop translating and publishing Japanese content as tension increases between the two countries. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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UK orders ebook lending review

Government-appointed panel to consider what role can ebooks play in our libraries in future. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2012-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beijing ban on Japanese books 'may spread'

Books by Japanese authors and titles about Japanese topics have been removed from bookshops in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sieghart to lead e-lending review

The government is expected to announce a review of library e-lending tomorrow (Wednesday 26th... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin reviews its travel publishing

Penguin is understood to have begun a review of its travel division, with staff informed today (... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yet more literary furor over fake book reviews

British crime writer R.J. Ellory is the latest author to be caught out writing glowing online reviews of his own work. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'No Easy Day' is a compelling account of Bin Laden's assassination: Book Review

This brisk first-person account by a Navy SEAL is an important historical work, though it, like the mission itself, is not flawless. No Easy Day Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pentagon reviews ex-Navy SEAL's book about Osama bin Laden raid

The Defense Department and CIA consider legal action against the former SEAL, author of 'No Easy Day,' for failing to submit the work for a security review.WASHINGTON — The Pentagon and CIA are reviewing a forthcoming book by a retired Navy SEAL who was on the May 2011 raid that killed Osama bin... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Will Paid Reviews Bite Amazon Back?

At least one entrepreneur sells positive book reviews to Amazon authors. How an apparently unreliable customer-review system might finally eat itself. Continue reading at The Atlantic

[ The Atlantic | 2012-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Increased Competition for Marketing Spend is Bad News for Print Media

The newspaper business’s reliance on the industrial machine of printing and distributing is often understated. It’s a delicate ecosystem that can have a real effect on publisher margins – as the fluctuation in newsprint ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-08-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rupert Murdoch's News Corp Launches Anti-Corruption Review

Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has launched a review of anti-corruption controls in several of its publishing arms, including News International in London. Murdoch told News Corp staff in a memo on Wednesday that the company recently launched ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Vaizey to announce e-lending review

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is poised to announce an independent cross-trade... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Review: Kobo Touch eReader

First there was US-based Amazon's Kindle eReader, then Canada-based Kobo turned the eBook race into a two-horse affair with its range of eReaders. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2012-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reddit Lifts Its Ban on The Atlantic

The Atlantic has returned to Reddit. A month after the social news site kicked out the news magazine and dozens of other sites —including Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and Discovery News—for spam, Reddit has welcomed many back into th ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Much Does the Times Book Review Matter?

The front page of the New York Times Book Review has always been—and continues to be—a much coveted spot for authors and publishers alike. But just how much does a Book Review cover affect a book’s sales in today’s publishing climate—does the revered paper publication still move units in the... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Judicial review on cards in Doncaster libraries row

A Doncaster resident has been granted permission to bring an application for judicial review... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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