Advocacy

Booksellers may be included in a recent settlement in which the companies have agreed to pay between $5.54 billion and $6.24 billion to a class of more than 12 million retailers.

A new episode of Counterspeak, the monthly podcast of the American Booksellers for Free Expression, will be available for download on BookWeb, Spotify, and iTunes this Thursday, January 3.

The level of public subsidies offered by New York City and New York State to Amazon has raised questions and concerns among some elected officials and city residents.

Discussions centered around online communities, which in some cases bring people together and help forge new connections, while in others drive polarization, spread disinformation, or coordinate harassment.

The first full episode of Counterspeak, a new monthly podcast from the American Booksellers for Free Expression, will be available for download this Thursday, December 6. 

“Free speech is under attack from all sides,” said ABFE’s Dave Grogan. “Our podcast, we hope, will be a welcome space for open dialogue and discussion.”

“Amazon’s claim that it helps small business is not only insulting to hard-working owners of small retailers across the country, the data clearly show that it is simply not true,” said ABA CEO Oren Teicher.

“Rather than consider changing his first name to ‘Amazon’ to get their headquarters, perhaps Governor Cuomo would think of changing his name to McNulty’s Tea or Katz’s Delicatessen to celebrate local and vibrant businesses,” writes Cox.