The New York Times writes on the state of the publishing business today and includes a red herring comment about the iPad’s impact on the business:

With the rise of electronic books, makers of reading devices and online retailers are putting pressure on prices and the traditional book publishing business model. And, as with record labels and newspapers, digital media raises the question of what part the traditional book publisher will play in the future.

“If book publishers are supposed to be the gatekeepers,” said Kurt Andersen, the novelist and host of “Studio 360,” a public radio program, “tell me exactly what they’re closing the gate to.”

In the case of “The Last Train From Hiroshima,” the author, Charles Pellegrino, said he had been duped by a source and insisted that other sources the publisher questioned definitely existed.

While the iPad may have an impact on the publishing business, it’s got little to do with the situation related to The Last Train From Hiroshima. It may be that the iPad is the device that tips electronic books into the mainstream (Amazon’s Kindle was, without a doubt, the first chink the armour) but the true impact of the digital age on publishing relates to the culture of immediacy that’s developed in our society. The rush to publish faster than ever appears to have pretty much eliminated any fact checking that ever happened.

The same problem has had an impact on the mainstream news media.

I lament for the days when we had time for careful reflection; when we had time to research, consider, absorb and truly understand instead of just skimming. I worry that this is the standard lament for previous generations that happens as we all age, but I fear that something different is happening now.

It seems as if a question that can’t be answered by clicking on one of google’s top ten links is dismissed as irrelevant, too complicated, or simply too time consuming to answer.

When even authors and journalists seem to ignore the importance of accuracy and understanding, is there hope for the rest of us?

Posted by skooter at 5:19 PM This entry is filed under Books.
This entry is tagged: Articles, Books, New York Times, Publishing