The Guardian view on free speech online: let law decide the limits | Editorial

The standards by which the internet is controlled need to be open and subject to impartial judiciaries – not left to advertisersThe revelations we publish about how Facebook’s data was used by Cambridge Analytica to subvert the openness of democracy are only the latest examples of a global phenomenon. All over the world, governments are coming to grips with the destructive power of social media. In recent weeks, Sri Lanka, Britain, Indonesia and Myanmar have all seen measures taken against hate-speech campaigns. In some cases the companies that publish and profit from them have acted themselves; in others the government has taken direct action. In Sri Lanka, the government reacted to a burst of anti-Muslim rioting by completely shutting down Facebook, WhatsApp, and the messaging app Viber for a week on 7 March. In Britain, Facebook banned the neo-Nazi Britain First movement, which had acquired 2m “likes”, after two of its leaders were jailed. The leaders’ personal pages were also removed. Why it took the company that long to act, when the hateful nature of the pages had been obvious to the whole world ever since Donald Trump retweeted one of their made-up news stories in 2017, is difficult to explain.YouTube can not only profit from disturbing content but in unintended ways rewards its creation. The algorithms that guide viewers to new choices aim always to intensify the experience, and to keep the viewer excited. This can damage society, and individuals, without being... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The long view

The Bookseller has been sold just three times in its 162-year history; the first time in 1998 by the founding Whitaker family to VNU (now better known as Nielsen), the second time in 2010 to Nigel Roby, and then, as announced last week, to the publisher of the Stage magazine. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-14 02:02:55 UTC ]
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Reclaim Her Name: why we should free Australia's female novelists from their male pseudonyms

The Women's Prize for Fiction has just published 25 literary works by female authors with their real names for the first time. Could we do the same for Miles Franklin and Henry Handel Richardson here? Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2020-08-13 06:43:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #female novelists #male pseudonyms #female authors #real names #miles franklin #novelists


Women's Prize sponsor Baileys launches free Reclaim Her Name series

In collaboration with the Women's Prize for Fiction, sponsor Baileys is re-releasing free e-books of classic works using the real names of female writers who originally published under male pseudonyms. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-12 02:14:44 UTC ]
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New York Comic Con Is Going Online

The show is partnering with YouTube for the con, which is usually at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-08-11 17:11:03 UTC ]
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Chair of A-Level Law Review resigns over editing of transgender article

The chairman of the editorial board of A-Level Law Review, Ian Yule, has quit his role after an article he wrote for the education magazine was heavily edited and put through a sensitivity reading from transgender rights charity Mermaids. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-10 16:33:55 UTC ]
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Free Books Campaign partners with Round Table

The Free Books Campaign is partnering with Round Table Books to launch a children's reading list. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-09 18:21:30 UTC ]
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A Bookstore That Shines as ‘a Lighthouse of a Free Society’

A Hong Kong bookseller has recreated his shop in Taipei, and it has become a symbol of Taiwan’s vibrant democracy. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-08-09 07:00:10 UTC ]
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Edinburgh International Book Festival online

The 2020 Edinburgh International Book Festival will be presented online from Saturday 15 to Monday 31 August. The programme, made up of over 140 events for adults, families and children, will offer both live and pre-recorded conversations featuring leading writers, poets and participants from... Continue reading at British Council global

[ British Council global | 2020-08-07 14:45:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #alan hollinghurst #frank mccourt #hanya yanagihara #heart-breaking story #douglas stuart #first novel


Taking on the hardest cases — without DNA — and setting the innocent free

Jim McCloskey describes how his faith fueled his work, and how his work tested his faith. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-08-07 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Andrew Bolt's views diagnosed as ‘disgraceful’ after coronavirus controversies | The Weekly Beast

News Corp columnist argues Victoria’s Covid-19 restrictions are stopping elderly from ‘dying a few months earlier’. Plus: ABC tweets paywalled Greg Sheridan pieceAndrew Bolt has doubled down on his argument that Covid-19 restrictions should be lifted because they are destroying the economy “to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-08-07 01:07:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #andrew bolt #weekly beast #covid-19 restrictions #months earlier #herald sun #news corp


On Rethinking Online Book Events: Critical Linking, July 31, 2020

An awesome daily roundup of the most interesting bookish links from around the web! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-07-31 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Online Sales Soared in Q2

Online sales at Amazon jumped 48% in the second quarter of 2020 over the comparable period in 2019, to $45.9 billion. Total revenue rose 40% and operating income skyrocketed 87%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-07-31 04:00:00 UTC ]
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It’s Time to Radically Rethink Online Book Events

Before the stay-at-home orders came down in Baltimore, the last thing I did in person was participate in a panel conversation about—ironically—“art and the apocalypse.” In retrospect, we should have cancelled, but the threat in Maryland still felt surreal; those were the days when it seemed like... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2020-07-28 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Ross' comic novel adapted for online drama

David F Ross' novel The Rise and Fall of the Miraculous Vespas is to be adapted for an online production, beginning on 30th July.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-27 20:26:38 UTC ]
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Sunak 'considering online sales tax and replacement for business rates'

Rishi Sunak is said to be exploring plans for an online sales tax to protect high street shops from competition from internet retailers, and plans to replace business rates.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-27 12:15:40 UTC ]
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Editorial Planeta México in Exclusive Deal With Subscription Service Scribd

Adding some 1,000 titles to its catalogue, the Planeta books bring Scribd's Spanish-language offer to more than 85,000 titles. The post Editorial Planeta México in Exclusive Deal With Subscription Service Scribd appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-07-23 13:00:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #exclusive deal #spanish-language offer #planeta


Spain’s Book Market: 40 Percent More Online Buying During Lockdown

A new study of the book market in Spain shows consumers are reading more during the pandemic lockdown, buying more books online, and still prefer print over digital. The post Spain’s Book Market: 40 Percent More Online Buying During Lockdown appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-07-21 14:30:43 UTC ]
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JK Rowling book sales unaffected by transgender views row

Bloomsbury says books were a lockdown hit, with children’s division revenue up 27%The backlash against JK Rowling’s views on transgender law reform has failed to dent the popularity of the Harry Potter author’s books, with publisher Bloomsbury saying they have proved a lockdown hit, pushing... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-07-21 12:29:43 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House Extends Open License for Online Readings Through 2020

The program was first announced in March to encourage digital read-aloud sessions for libraries and schools forced to close by the novel coronavirus outbreak. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-07-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #online readings #coronavirus outbreak #libraries #random house