Publishing world

On August 22, oral arguments ended in the Justice Department's antitrust trial to block the book publisher Penguin Random House from merging with rival Simon & Schuster.  Read more

On the afternoon of August 10th, in the E. Barrett Prettyman federal courthouse, the Department of Justice trial to block Penguin Random House from acquiring Simon & Schuster had hit a midweek lull. The courtroom itself-as well as the overflow room, where journalists were permitted Internet access-was a few booksellers shy of crowded.  Read more

The Department of Justice has claimed Penguin Random House's $2.2bn merger with Simon & Schuster will create a duopoly and damage competition in the US, as both sides made their closing arguments in court.

The second day of the DOJ's trial to block Penguin Random House from acquiring rival Big Five publisher Simon & Schuster featured a little star power: bestselling author Stephen King took the stand, telling the court about his rise from struggling freelance writer to mega-bestselling author, and bemoaning the continued consolidation of the publishing industry-which, he contends, is hurting   Read more

In the 2021 Netflix film "Don't Look Up", two astronomers played by Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio embark on a media tour to warn the public about an impending comet collision that will doom the planet. The problem: no one really cares. Publishing takes a different approach to such matters. As an industry we assume the sky is falling down, even when it isn't.