A Powerful Voice for the Freedom of Ideas

Stephen King:

If Penguin Random House gets its way, it will soon own Simon & Schuster—leaving only four major publishers in an industry that once had dozens.

In a country built on free press, where Common Sense helped launch the Revolutionary War and The Grapes of Wrath helped spark the New Deal, the idea of just four white CEOs deciding what books reach the shelves is nothing less than alarming.

There’s more than one way to ban a book: Publishing monopolies keep diverse and controversial voices out of the hands of readers. The Justice Department is trying to shut down the Penguin Random House merger, and we need the Federal Trade Commission to get involved as well.

As usual, King speaks the truth to a country hellbent on stifling freedom of thought.  He’s been a forceful voice for justice in the context of the coup attempt, and we’re all very lucky to have him and his powerful ideas hard at work to prevent a nightmarish “1984” scenario here.