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 ]
Penguin Random House and Netflix are teaming up in an effort to take book fans to the Upside Down. “Stranger Things” will be moving from the small screen to the page when the publisher and the entertainment company roll out a number of books based on the hit science fiction series, Deadline... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Audiobook downloads rose 22% to a record £31m sales last year, according to new figures released by the Publishers Association to mark the start of Love Audio Week. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Top thriller writer opts to publish solely in spoken-word format as demand risesWriters are turning to the spoken word as their preferred medium, encouraged by a boom in audiobook sales that is transforming publishing.This weekend, audio publisher Audible, owned by Amazon, released an audiobook... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kitchen Confidential, the book that made Anthony Bourdain a star after he published it in 2000, hasn’t quite aged like a perfect Burgundy. Some of it may have even turned a little vinegary. The memoir celebrated a profane and raunchy culinary culture boiling over with testosterone, where... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2018-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wonderbly, the publisher of the personalised Lost My Name books, is partnering with animation studio Sixteen South and Walker’s Helen McAleer to create a TV series. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook is paying news publishers, but the terms show the power is still with the platform. The post The Rundown: With Watch news shows, Facebook still holds the cards appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2018-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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TV rights to Juno Dawson’s memoir The Gender Games (Two Roads) have been optioned by Benedict Cumberbatch's production outfit SunnyMarch. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In a court case mounted with the Romance Writers of America, the Authors Guild has prevailed against Faleena Hopkins in the Southern District of New York: Authors can use the word 'cocky' in titles. The post Freedom to Publish Advocacy: Authors Guild Wins ‘CockyGate’ Court Ruling appeared first... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Four sci-fi authors—Charlie Jane Anders, Seth Dickinson, S.L. Huang, and V.E. Schwab—will appear in not one but two panel discussions. Riffing on the panel titles, we asked them how reality, identity, and fearless female characters influence their work. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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We spoke with a number of booksellers about their impressions of the show, and the titles they were most looking forward to grabbing at publishers’ booths. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After a confusing opening day at the trade show, publishers and booksellers settled into discussing industry issues and getting ready for the fall season. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When two Simon & Schuster employees saw that a central character on the TV show 'Younger,' which is set in the world of New York book publishing, was releasing a novel, they wanted to make sure that book hit shelves in the real world. Now it will. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This year’s PEN America–hosted BookExpo panel saw journalists and a civil rights activist debate the meaning of free speech in an era of “fake news” and deep racial tensions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A star-studded cast including singer Alicia Keys, actress Ashley Judd and "Hamilton" star Phillipa Soo are lined up to narrate the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls audiobook. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This year's event raised more than $2.2 million to support free expression, and Publisher Honoree Carolyn Reidy of S&S delivered an address citing the importance of protecting "unfettered discourse." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Igloo Books, a division of Bonnier Publishing, is partnering with Ameet on a series of Lego Star Wars titles. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent drama producer Kudos has won the television adaptation rights to Diane Setterfield’s new novel Once Upon a River (Doubleday) after "fierce competition" for the rights. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education's chief executive explains why it is launching the UK's first survey of ethnic representation in children’s literature. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Netflix pays creators, but for digital publishers, there's also a ton of value in just being able to say they have a show on Netflix. The post The Netflix Effect: Publishers see Netflix deals as gateways to more TV work appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2018-05-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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