Why Ryan Reynolds Can Use Winnie-the-Pooh To Sell You a Phone Plan
As pop culture icons enter the public domain, a strange new era of copyright begins.
Publishing
Brian Doherty: From MAD Magazine to Maus
A new history, Dirty Pictures, explores how underground comix revolutionized art and exploded censorship once and for all.
Substack
The paid online newsletter service allows writers the opportunity to keep more of the fruits of their labors.
'No Book Deals for Traitors'
Publishing in the post-Trump era is going to involve a lot of score-settling.
Reason Has Been Nominated for 10 'Maggie' Awards
Finalists include "What to Know Before You Pay for Sex" and a Reason documentary about San Francisco's insane housing regulations.
The Backpage Scandal Isn't What You Think
How indie media entrepreneurs James Larkin and Michael Lacey became the targets of a federal witchhunt.
Adam Parfrey, RIP
The Feral House publisher exposes American minds to wide variety of fascinating and often disturbing culture.
'Sensitivity Readers' Are the New Thought Police, And They Threaten More Than Novelists
Nobody calls himself a censor anymore in the 21st century. We've got better words for it.
Actors Guild Fights to Make Outing Entertainers' Ages a Crime
SAG-AFTRA and the State of California claim websites like IMDb have a proactive duty to help actors hide their ages from casting directors.
First Amendment Lawyers Ask New Calif. Attorney General to Drop 'Abusive' Crusade Against Backpage and User-Info Dragnet
A subpoena calls for copies of all Backpage ads posted over several years, all billing records, and the identities of all of the website's users.
Backpage Backed Into Corner Over Adult Ads. Is Government's Goal a Goodbye to Sex Trafficking, or Free Speech?
As Congress puts Backpage on trial, Section 230 is the big fish in this barrel of red herrings.
Outrage Over Children's Book Parody Will Simply Feed Culture War Further
The cure for bad speech is more speech. The cure for bad jokes is … maybe better jokes?
Publishing Charlie Hebdo Cover Lands Turkish Journalists in Prison
Just yesterday, Turkey's PM had promised to include the "principle of secularism" in new constitution.
Stunning Rejection of Scientific Values of Transparency and Skepticism at New England Journal of Medicine
Outside researchers might "even use the data to try to disprove what the original investigators had posited."
Broken Science
What happens when cancer doctors, psychologists, and drug developers can't rely on each other's research?
Google Books' Scanning of Copyrighted Work Indeed Legal, Appeals Court Confirms
Likely outcome: better for scholars, readers, writers, even publishers.
Thanks for the Mammaries, Playboy!
Venerable skin mag drops nudity in favor of "expanded coverage of liquor," PG-13 thrills.
Why Is the Authors Guild Supporting Publishers Against Amazon—And More Than It Supports Authors?
Because guilds don't like competition.
Judge Grants Backpage.com Temporary Restraining Order Against Illinois Sheriff Tom Dart
"It appears that an oft-used tool for identifying lawbreakers will be lost if Backpage were to fold," writes federal judge.
Quartz Blasts Freelance Economy, Blames Evil Corporations, Doesn't Pay Writer
Atlantic Media pub runs unpaid work critiquing unpaid work.
Sex-Trafficking Victims Hurt Most by Senator's Crusade Against Classified Ads
Closing sites like Backpage.com puts trafficking victims at even more risk.
Search Engines Trump Traditional Media as Most-Trusted by Millennials
In Google News we trust.
No Proof of Heaven After All: Boy Recants Story
"I did not die. I did not go to Heaven," admits Alex Malarkey.