Tim Rutten:
"The Obama Nation" was written and printed because
major American publishing houses have decided that there's money to
be made in funding right-wing boutique imprints modeled after the
Washington-based Regnery, which has made a small fortune stoking
the hard-right furnace with combustible prose. Corsi's book is
published by Threshold Editions, a division of Simon &
Schuster, which hired right-wing political operative Mary Matalin
to edit the imprint. Random House has a similar imprint in Crown
Forum, and Penguin Group USA has Sentinel. Their business model --
and this is all about business -- is predicated on the existence of
an echo chamber of right-wing radio and television shows willing to
promote these publishers' products -- however noxious. Beyond that
is a network of conservative book clubs and organizations willing
to place the sort of advance bulk orders for controversial books
that will guarantee them a place on the bestseller
lists.
So, basically, Rutten is saying that making money --
profit -- is an unacceptable motive in the publishing
industry. If folks at the L.A. Times wonder why they are
"struggling
with declining revenue," allow me to suggest that having
editors who are anti-profit might have something to do
with it.
Note also that "right-wing" = "noxious" in Tim Rutten's
universe. Is there any left-wing book that Rutten would
deem "noxious"?
(Cross-posted at The
Other McCain.)
topics:
Television, Business, Books
