Democracy under siege—and the press, too

On Wednesday afternoon, a mob of right-wing extremists and indignant livestreamers stormed the Capitol. Along their path, they left a note to the journalists who were covering the scene, a message that seemed a harrowing extension of a presidency marked by anti-press virulence: etched into a door was the phrase murder the media. It’s hard not to take that seriously—as was noted by Rachael Pacella and Paul W. Gillespie, both journalists who had survived the 2018 mass shooting at the Capital Gazette, in Annapolis, Maryland. And yet, as Masha Gessen wrote for The New Yorker, no one in charge seemed to take the mob seriously enough. The harm done to the press was alarming. All through the afternoon, reporters in Washington photographed rioters kicking, toppling, stomping, and pouring water on their equipment as they yelled “Fuck you, propaganda!” and chanted “CNN sucks.” An AP spokesperson told the New York Times that members of the crowd stole some equipment; a group appeared to be trying to burn it. One person shouted at a couple of Washington Post reporters, “How many more fucking people gotta die? All the lies you’ve told, all this time––that’s what made this happen. A lady died because of your lies!” (That was possibly a reference to Ashli Babbitt, the woman fatally shot by police during the siege.) Yesterday afternoon, the US Press Freedom Tracker said it was investigating several instances of assault, equipment damage, and other mayhem caused by the mob. Hours before... Continue reading at 'Columbia Journalism Review'

[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2021-01-08 13:30:11 UTC ]

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Acting UMMS chief: Baltimore Mayor Pugh approached medical system for book deal

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh solicited a lucrative no-bid arrangement to sell copies of her self-published children’s books to the University of Maryland Medical System in “direct conversations” with the hospital network’s CEO, a top system official testified Saturday in Annapolis. Acting CEO... Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2019-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S scoops Khashoggi book

Simon & Schuster has landed The Killing in the Consulate: The Life and Death of Jamal Khashoggi by Channel 4 News’s Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jonathan Rugman. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Baltimore Mayor Pugh to take leave of absence in midst of 'Healthy Holly' book controversy

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, facing a call by Gov. Larry Hogan for a criminal investigation into the book deal that paid her hundreds of thousands of dollars, announced Monday that she will take an indefinite leave of absence because of her health. The Democratic mayor’s office issued a... Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2019-04-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Baltimore Mayor Pugh apologizes for 'Healthy Holly' deal but admits some books being delivered only now

Mayor Catherine Pugh apologized Thursday for upsetting the people of Baltimore over a book deal with the University of Maryland Medical System, as she for the first time produced evidence that 60,000 of her “Healthy Holly” children’s books have been printed and distributed. But she also said that... Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2019-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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I was paid £12,500 to write my book – and here's why I'm telling you | Alex Holder

The more we know about what other people earn, the more we can understand our own circumstancesI was paid a £12,500 advance to write my book, Open Up. Sharing this publicly, even as the author of a book about our emotional relationship with money, was initially petrifying, but I ended up... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins scoops fantasy debut in two book deal

HarperCollins have acquired world English rights to The Black Hawks by David Wragg, a fantasy debut in which a band of mercenaries take on corrupt religious authorities.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Roger McNamee: ‘It’s bigger than Facebook. This is a problem with the entire industry’

Mark Zuckerberg’s mentor and an early investor in Facebook on why his book Zucked urges people to turn away from big tech’s toxic business modelRoger McNamee is an American fund manager and venture capitalist who has made investments in, among others, Electronic Arts, Sybase, Palm Inc and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Global revenue flat for S&S in 2018

Simon & Schuster's worldwide revenues for 2018 dipped fractionally to $825m from $830m in 2017, parent company CBS has said. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Maggie O’Farrell signs with Walker for first children’s book

The Walker Books Group has acquired Maggie O’Farrell’s first children’s book deal in a global rights deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S 2018 Profits Up, Despite Small Sales Decline

A 7% decline in fourth quarter revenue led to a 0.6% drop in sales for the full year at Simon & Schuster. The publisher still posted a 6% increase in operating profits over 2017. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Asher files lawsuit against SCBWI after sexual harassment claims

Jay Asher, the author of several YA novels including Thirteen Reasons Why (Penguin), has filed a lawsuit against the US branch of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and its executive director, Lin Oliver, following last year’s accusations of sexual harassment. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jay Asher Sues SCBWI for Defamation

The 'Thirteen Reasons Why' author has filed a lawsuit against the Society of Children’s Book Writers, as well as the group’s executive director, Lin Oliver, over their allegations of sexual harassment. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S UK snaps up Woozeer's debut

Simon & Schuster have pre-empted Not Quite White, the debut by writer and musician Laila Woozeer. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dream Jobs: Spotlight on Simon & Schuster's Masters at Work Series

More than career guides, these narrative portraits of professional lives let readers try on their dream jobs. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reidy Touts 2018 as S&S's 'Most Successful Year'

In addition to a string of bestsellers, Simon & Schuster CEO Carolyn Reidy cited strong gains in digital audio and backlist sales as keys to the “most successful year in Simon & Schuster's history.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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U.K. Book Trade Agrees to Code of Conduct

In the U.K., groups representing agents, publishers, bookseller and authors have agreed to a 'Commitment to Professional Behaviour,' a new code of conduct intended to stamp out sexual harassment, discrimination, bullying, and intimidation. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-12-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Macmillan Children’s wins five-way auction for Dougie Poynter’s non-fiction

Macmillan Children’s Books (MCB) has won the five-way auction for Dougie Poynter’s non-fiction in a two book deal.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ferrari-Adler, Loehnen Launch New Imprint at S&S

Avid Reader Press, a new fiction and nonfiction imprint at Simon & Schuster to be overseen by current S&S editors Jofie Ferrari-Adler and Ben Loehnen, is set to unveil its first list in late 2019 or early 2020. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Instagram eventually pulls a troll's post praising pipe bombs

Remember Milo Yiannapolous? The self-described provocateur who now lacks a job at Breitbart, a book deal with Simon & Schuster and a Twitter account can add one more deletion to the list: an Instagram post. Unlike Alex Jones, Yiannapolous has mai... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2018-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Industry Notes: Elsevier Contributes Book Aid’s Millionth Volume, Simon Restructures Touchstone

The Za'atari Camp in Jordan is part of Book Aid International's refugee outreach, supported by Elsevier and other publishers. And Simon & Schuster's Touchstone goes to the Atria and Gallery Books lists. The post Industry Notes: Elsevier Contributes Book Aid’s Millionth Volume, Simon... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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