Sunday, August 11, 2013

Amazon Expands Publishing Role



Amazon just bought The Washington Post.  Rich individuals and families used to own local newspapers.  Then some newspapers were purchased by corporations.  Now the media is owned by those who should fall under greater journalistic scrutiny.

It is not good that Amazon bought one of the nation’s most authoritative newspapers – for several reasons.

First, Amazon is a company that needs to be watched and scrutinized.  If it owns the media, who will criticize Amazon?

Second, is this a sign that more newspapers and publications will sell to Amazon, further giving them control of the industry?  Amazon doesn’t dabble in an industry – it looks to dominate it.

Third, Amazon competes on price.  Will it find a way to cheapen the Washington Post?  Will it look to digitize them and sell its content online only?

Four, will the Washington Post now give favorable coverage not only to Amazon, but the books it publishes too?

Five, will Amazon use the Washington Post to influence public policy and politics and seek to leverage the power of the press to fight its battles?

Amazon works with the CIA.  Yes, look it up.  They recently got the Department of Justice to rule in its favor against Apple and the major publishers.  Amazon is becoming too big to control.  It seems to be liked by Wall Street, approved by the government, and is positively perceived by consumers who are bought off with free shipping and discounts.  But Amazon is putting others out of business and causing financial hardship to those in industries it competes with.

Soon, you’ll be able to read all about it.

Or, now that they own the media, maybe not.

Book Excerpt from : “Plato, Not Prozac”
“When people we love die, whole universes die with them.  Those of us still here are not sad for them; we’re sad for us.  Those people were integral to our existence.  Their lives were lamps that lit ours.  We loved and were loved by them; suddenly we feel love less and feel less loved.  Those people were suns we basket in, and we no longer have those rays to warm us. We’re missing something that cannot be restored.  What’s lost is not just the person, but our relationship to that person.  We still have our memories, but not the immediate emotional connection.  Different people bring out different facets of our characters.  Much of what we are is a reflection in others.” 


Don’t Miss These Recent Posts

25 Ways For Authors To Break Through & Establish A Legacy

Evolving As A book Marketer & Publicist

Do You Market Your Books Doggy Style?


Writers Read This: You Are Marketers

Why Authors – and Publicists & Publishers Need A Therapist

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2013

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.