Show an ad over header. AMP

I am the FIRST!!!

Simon & Schuster firestorm shows books have become the next free speech battleground

The free speech debate that has engulfed social media platforms is now extended to any information gatekeeper, even those not obligated to host anyone's speech.

The big picture: More books have been canceled recently by publishers wary of the potential blowback they could face for giving controversial figures or ideas a platform. Some publishers are facing pressure from frustrated employees to censor controversial authors or ideas.


Driving the news: Employees at Simon & Schuster have filed a petition demanding that the book publisher cut ties with authors associated with the Trump administration, the Wall Street Journal reports.

  • The petition has garnered 216 internal signatures and over 3,500 external supporters, including well-known Black writers.
  • The company reportedly sent an internal letter last week to employees rejecting their demands when they learned of the petition, per the Journal.
  • Former Vice President Mike Pence is explicitly named in the petition as someone the signatories believe the publisher should not work with.
  • Axios previously reported that Pence signed a two-book deal with the company — with a significant advance — "as part of a strategy to be vocal and visible ahead of a possible 2024 presidential race."

This isn't the first time Simon & Schuster has gotten caught up in a firestorm over publishing a book from a conservative author.

  • In 2017, the publisher yanked its book deal with Milo Yiannopoulos, a controversial former Breitbart editor who faced backlash after pedophilia comments. He self-published the book later that year.
  • In January, the company said it would no longer publish a book from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) in the wake of the Capitol siege, citing its morality clause. Regnery Publishing, a conservative outfit that has published former senior Trump officials, took up the book.

Two weeks ago, Simon & Schuster said it would not distribute a book being written by a Louisville police officer involved in the deadly shooting of Breonna Taylor, following outcry on social media.

  • The book is being published by Post Hill Press, a Tennessee-based publisher that has a distribution deal with Simon & Schuster.

Between the lines: The book industry has been forced to reckon with the role it plays in publishing content that could be offensive or immoral in the wake of the Capitol siege and the Black Lives Matter movement.

  • In February, the New York Times reported that Kate Hartson, the editorial director of the conservative Center Street imprint at the Hachette Book Group, was let go. She claims it was over her politics.
  • Hundreds of publishing executives signed an open letter following the Capitol siege arguing: "[N]o one who incited, suborned, instigated, or otherwise supported the January 6, 2021 coup attempt should have their philosophies remunerated and disseminated through our beloved publishing houses."
  • Several Dr. Seuss books were shelved this year by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the entity responsible for preserving Dr. Seuss' works, because of racist and insensitive imagery.
  • Flatiron Books, the publisher of "American Dirt" by Jeanine Cummins, canceled the book's promotional tour last January after it faced widespread condemnation and suspicion from Latino writers and activists.

Be smart: While some conservatives may frame book bans by mainstream publishers as free speech issues, self-publishing can be a viable option for high-profile figures who can afford the expense and promote a book without help from a major publisher.

  • Donald Trump Jr. turned down an offer from Center Street in order to self-publish “Liberal Privilege: Joe Biden and the Democrats’ Defense of the Indefensible," the New York Times reported last year.

Simon & Schuster did not respond for request for comment.

regular 4 post ff

infinite scroll 4 pff

The Keystone XL pipeline is officially dead

The developer of the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline abandoned the project Wednesday after a decade-plus effort.

Why it matters: TC Energy's decision ends one of the century's highest profile battles over climate change and energy. But the move is unsurprising.

Keep reading...Show less

Study: Delta coronavirus variant evades certain antibodies because of mutations

One dose of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine "barely" protects against the Delta variant of the virus, because of mutations the variant has developed, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Thursday.

Why it matters: The study found that two doses of those vaccines generated a neutralizing response to the variant in 95% of people, highlighting the importance of full vaccination against COVID-19.

Keep reading...Show less

Heat wave engulfs the West as Death Valley hits 130 degrees

About 30 million people are under excessive heat warnings or advisories as a heat wave sweeps the Western U.S., bringing potentially record-high temperatures on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

Why it matters: The heat wave comes after some regions in the Pacific Northwest saw temperature records shattered last month, with the same "heat dome" effect that is engulfing the West now, the New York Times reports. Human-caused climate change has exacerbated the frequency of these extreme heat events.

Keep reading...Show less

Key administration posts remain vacant 6 months into Biden presidency

Nearly six months since his presidency began, Joe Biden's administration has yet to fill key leadership positions in a number of prominent agencies, the Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: Many of the empty positions are important to advancing the administration's agenda in areas such as the pandemic, voting rights, climate change and cracking down on corporations.

Keep reading...Show less

Insights

mail-copy

Get Goodhumans in your inbox

Most Read

More Stories
<!ENTITY lol2 “&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;“> <!ENTITY lol3 “&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;“> <!ENTITY lol4 “&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;“> ]> &lol4;