Phil Robertson was suspended by A&E for bigoted comments in GQ. Conservatives cry foul, but it hardly violates his rightsThe right to free speech isn't just a fundamental American value; it's enshrined in the first amendment to our constitution. If only the most loud-mouthed among us actually understood what it says. Here's what the First Amendment offers: you can say, write or publish pretty much whatever you want, no matter how offensive (with a few exceptions), and the government can't step in and censor you or put you in jail. Here's what the first amendment doesn't do: allow you to say, write or publish whatever you want, no matter how offensive, and also entitle you to a giant pay check from your starring role on a cable reality TV show.This isn't exactly Harvard-level legal theory, but many Republicans, Christian organizations and garden-variety tweeters enjoy spouting off about their love of freedom and the Constitution while remaining disturbingly unaware of what the Bill of Rights actually says and means. The right-wing passion for a set of ideals they claim to revere – but remain ignorant of – is not new, but it's news again this week. They're up in arms at the suspension of Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson for a series of homophobic and bigoted remarks he made to GQ magazine. Professional consequences for bigoted comments, they say, violate the constitutional right to free speech.Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal said: Phil Robertson and his family are great... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2013-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
The ebook format became the most popular one for adult fiction in 2011, surpassing hardcover books and paperbacks, according to an annual survey. Net revenue from ebook sales over all more than doubled from 2010. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2012-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#ebook format
#adult fiction
#annual survey
#net revenue
#ebook sales
Publishing is getting a starring role at London’s Design Museum this week while its... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#design museum
#starring role
The publishers of The Anniston Star on Monday announced a series of changes to cut expenses while concentrating on digital growth, including the discontinuation of the Monday print edition of The Star and the Friday Escapes section. The changes com ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#monday announced
#digital growth
Random House has reprinted its record-busting Fifty Shades trilogy a further three times... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#fifty shades
#random house
More than half of tablet adopters are reading books and other media on their tablet screens instead of relying on paper. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2012-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#physical books
#survey shows
#reading books
#tablet screens
US pop star Katy Perry will become the latest celebrity to be depicted in the biography comic book Fame series, publisher Bluewater Productions says. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2012-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#katy perry
#comic book
Heavy hitters across several industries have tried to find the perfect balance between the old and the new to breathe some life into what's been described as a dying medium. Layar "wants to make the world clickable" with its augmented reality software and doesn't plan on letting paper-based... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#digital world
#mobile app
#web app
Sony unveils a Harry Potter-based book, part-written by JK Rowling, as the first Wonderbook title for its Playstation console. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2012-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#jk rowling
DALLAS, TX, May 18, 2012 – AIM Media Texas, LLC (“AIM” or the “Company”) announced today that it has reached agreement to acquire the Texas print and online newspaper publishing assets from Freedom Co ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-05-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#freedom communications
#llc ldquo
#announced today
The announcement of a Defamation Bill in the Queen's Speech today (9th May) has been welcomed... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Maurice Sendak wrote and illustrated the acclaimed 'Where The Wild Things Are,' along with other children's books. He passed away early Tuesday in Connecticut. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#wild things
A rare week gives us three celeb memoirs by boldface names: Sissy Spacek, Gregg Allman, and Dan Rather are telling all. Turns out, fame is great and all, but what stars really want is a book deal. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#boldface names
#sissy spacek
#book deal
A multi-book deal for celebrity chef Lorraine Pascale, a memoir from “Strictly Come Dancing... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#multi-book deal
Hot pre-Fair debut The Palace of Curiosities by poet and performance artist Rosie Garland has... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
The newest 'Star Wars' novel, 'Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse,' holds the No. 8 slot on the New York Times bestseller list. Success has become the norm for the books. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-03-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#star wars
#bestseller lists
Not content with simply doling out free digital comics to fans who favor the tangible page, Marvel is now giving readers a new reason to reach for their tablets: augmented reality. Android and iOS devices will be able to look beyond the page using Marvel AR, an Aurasma-powered app slated to... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#ios devices
#official announcement
The Marvel AR app will be released in April for Apple's iPhones and iPad as well as smartphones and tablets, the comic book publisher said in a statement. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2012-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
The circulations of IPC's Soaplife and Hearst Magazines' Inside Soap have fallen significantly year on year, although the majority of TV titles avoided large declines, according to the July to December 2011 magazine ABC figures. Continue reading at Media Week
[ Media Week | 2012-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#magazine abcs
#hearst magazines
Quadrille has acquired a title by TV chef and owner of London restaurant The Star of India Reza... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#tv chef
Crime writer Peter James, Chinese author and screenwriter Bi Feiyu and children’s writer... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#chinese author