Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has just received a blunt message. He was given “the finger” on prime-time TV by America’s new chat-show king Stephen Colbert, who is incensed that his books are not available to buy on Amazon. Mr Colbert is one of thousands of authors signed to the publisher Hachette, which has been embroiled in a stand-off with Amazon over pricing.
The decision by Hachette, one of the world’s biggest publishers, to fight Amazon is an important moment for the books industry. Few have dared to take on the mighty retailer, and they need encouragement
Amazon doesn’t operate like a normal business. It runs on wafer-thin margins, claiming to put the consumer first. The publishing industry despairs because, in the words of Hachette, books are not “like any consumer good”. But in the absence of a serious rival to Amazon, and a lack of intervention from regulators, Mr Bezos’s record suggests he will ignore every message except sheer financial power. Hachette should not be left to campaign alone.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments