Mergers, Corporisation and Mass Market Publishing: to what extent can it been argued that the quality and diversity of literature is compromised by the commercialisation of the publishing business in the 21st century?
Helen Wishart
Abstract
In this article I will look at the merging of Penguin Books and Random House as an example of the movement towards the overall corporsiation of the publishing industry; I will seek to understand the notion of a “mass culture” society and critically examine the views of those who consider that this is what we have become. I will question the extent to which it is true that the growing commercialisation of the business has resulted in a lack of diversity, and that it compromises the proliferation of quality literature.
Helen Wishart
Abstract
In this article I will look at the merging of Penguin Books and Random House as an example of the movement towards the overall corporsiation of the publishing industry; I will seek to understand the notion of a “mass culture” society and critically examine the views of those who consider that this is what we have become. I will question the extent to which it is true that the growing commercialisation of the business has resulted in a lack of diversity, and that it compromises the proliferation of quality literature.