Three Fun Articles To Read
Well one article and two blog posts really.
First off, Alan Rusbridger, editor of The Guardian, writes at length about how the media is effectively now unable to examine things like whether corporations are avoiding tax legally. We know that the UK's libel laws are absurd and encourage libel tourism (everything is effectively "published" in the UK either via the internet or through online booksales), but even more scary are the vast sums that journalists must pay tax lawyers to write articles. The piece itself cost "several thousand dollars" just to be cleared to publish. Nobody else followed up Private Eye's stories about Tesco in the summer, not because it wasn't a story, but it's just too expensive (and Tesco is a major advertiser, who nobody's in a hurry to annoy).
Charles Arthur on what a devastating effect Zavvi and Woolie's closures (or imminent closures) are likely to have on the music industry, with the supermarkets taking control of physical sales. Their tastes are somewhat blander than might be liked...
And finally author Max Barry on the stupidity of Warners who have somehow prevented purchasers of The Dark Knight on DVD from playing it on their PC. Such is their concern about anti-piracy, that they make pirates out of honest consumers. Film companies really need a kick up the backside.
