Penguin Group hit with age discrimination suit

Some well-kept secrets at Penguin Group, most notably the succession plan for its CEO, were put on display late Wednesday with the filing of an age discrimination lawsuit by the book publisher's former longtime head of corporate communications, Marilyn Ducksworth. Her lawyers charge Penguin with dismantling her staff and diminishing her executive responsibilities "in an orchestrated, coordinated effort to force her to leave." In addition, Penguin retaliated when she protested the company's "discriminatory actions against her and other older employees," the complaint said. Ms. Ducksworth, 56, resigned Aug. 31. She had been senior vice president of corporate communications and executive director of publicity of the imprints G.P. Putnam's Sons and Riverhead Books, and associate publisher of Putnam. On Thursday, the suit was a source of much discussion in the closely knit publishing world, where Ms. Ducksworth is widely liked and highly regarded. Age discrimination is also a sensitive topic at publishing houses, insiders say, pointing to the constant pressure to cut costs, which can make high-salaried veterans more likely to be targeted in restructurings. Penguin, a unit of the U.K.-based publishing giant Pearson, disputes the charges. "Marilyn Ducksworth has been a valued Penguin employee for many years," a company spokeswoman said in a statement. "She made the decision to resign and left the company of her own volition on Aug. 31st. We are saddened that she has chosen to... Continue reading at 'Crains New York'

[ Crains New York | 2012-09-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As Digital Media Falters, Betches Hits Its Stride, Expanding Headcount and Revenue Streams

Lifestyle and comedy publisher Betches, which chronicles dating and pop culture for a predominantly female audience, just introduced digital advertising to its newly redesigned website in late July. The move is part of a broader effort to diversify its business and signal a new chapter for the... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2023-08-03 11:50:06 UTC ]
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Suki Thompson, founder of Oystercatchers, dies aged 56

Thompson raised nearly £200,000 for Macmillan Cancer Research, and donations continue to come in. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2023-08-02 15:16:19 UTC ]
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U.A.E.'s Kalimat Group Partners with PRH India

The U.A.E.'s Kalimat Group and Penguin Random House India have entered into a partnership to translate books from Arabic to English and English into Arabic, for global distribution. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Judge Finds Revived Amazon E-book Monopoly Suit Should Proceed

A magistrate judge in New York has once again recommended that a lawsuit accusing the Big Five publishers of colluding with Amazon to fix e-book prices should be dismissed. But in a twist, the court found that a monopolization claim against Amazon should proceed. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette Book Group Has Soft First Half of 2023

Sales at Hachette Book Group fell 8.6% in the first six months of 2023 compared to the first half of 2022, parent company Lagardère reported. Sales for all of Lagardère Publishing fell 2.5%, and profits dropped 16%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Abrams Announces Marketing and Publicity Groups Restructuring

With the company's marketing and publicity teams unified across adult and children’s book imprints, Abrams aims to create a more efficient way to reach readers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The End of an Era at Penguin Random House

Layoffs, buyouts, and reorganizations abound as the largest trade publisher in the U.S. charts a future course. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Layoffs Begin at Penguin Random House as Buyout Departures Come into Focus

Names of some employees who have accepted the publisher's "voluntary separation offer" are beginning to come out—even as a letter from Penguin Random House CEO Nihar Malaviya confirmed that long-rumored layoffs have become a reality. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Several top editors at Penguin Random House accept buyout offers

Some of publishing’s most celebrated and enduring editors are leaving their posts at Penguin Random House after accepting buyout packages Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-07-17 23:33:55 UTC ]
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Trump Lawyers Argue Copyright Suit Against Woodward, S&S Should Proceed

The former president's lawyers contend that he was speaking in his personal capacity, not as president of the United States, when he gave a series or recorded interviews later used in the 2022 audiobook 'The Trump Tapes.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House’s New Inklore: ‘Pop-Comics’

The new Random House Worlds 'pop-comics' imprint Inklore is acquiring manga, manhwa, manhua, and more for a 2024 launch. The post Penguin Random House’s New Inklore: ‘Pop-Comics’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-06-30 15:54:25 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House Launches Pop-Comics Imprint

Announced June 28, Inklore will publish manga, manhua, manhwa, webcomics adaptations and light novels, with its first project to be released early 2024. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Introducing Ad Age Leading National Advertisers 2023

Ad spending for the top 200 U.S. advertisers showed robust growth, powered my internet companies. Digital media grabbed the lion's share of budgets. Spending is growing this year, but a recession looms. Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2023-06-26 09:45:00 UTC ]
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Bruder Returns to Chronicle Books as Group Publisher

After more than a decade at Amazon Publishing, Mikyla Bruder returns to lead Chronicle's art, entertainment, food and lifestyle, and children’s publishing groups. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: Why AI won't be taking our cosmology jobs

The problem with studying the universe around us is that it is simply too big. The stars overhead remain too far away to interact with directly, so we are relegated to testing our theories on the formation of the galaxies based on observable data. Simulating these celestial bodies on computers... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-06-18 15:30:05 UTC ]
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Pastor blames 'power-hungry men' after U.S. Baptist group ousts churches with female leaders

Rev. Linda Barnes Popham says she’ll keep leading her Baptist church in Kentucky so long as her congregation stands behind her. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-06-14 22:50:19 UTC ]
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Hitting the books: Why you shouldn't blog about asking a cop to go shopping for you

You get free stuff, you get free travel, you get the nifty cool title of "brand ambassador," what's not to love about being an internet influencer? There's the consequences, for one. Not even just the warranted consequences of your actual actions, mind you, but also those arriving unbidden based... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-06-11 14:30:57 UTC ]
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Publicis Groupe joins content standards body

The Coalition of Content Provenance Authenticity aims to “advance the future of responsible digital media creation, publication and sharing”. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2023-06-05 12:11:00 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: Why we like bigger things better

We Americans love to have ourselves a big old time. It's not just our waistlines that have exploded outward since the post-WWII era. Our houses have grown larger, as have the appliances within them, the vehicles in their driveways, the income inequalities between ourselves and our neighbors, and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-06-04 14:30:20 UTC ]
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Group Challenges Arkansas Law That Criminalizes Access to Some Books

A lawsuit says the edict “forces bookstores and libraries to self-censor in a way that is antithetical to their core purposes.” Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-06-02 18:12:34 UTC ]
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