On the Media: The Publishing Industry Hasn't Collapsed

'Analysts have long foreseen the death of the book industry. From issues posed by our screen-dominated culture, the rise and fall of big box bookstores, and of course the creation of the ever dominant Amazon. And there was some truth to it. Reading among the average American had been drifting down year after year since the early 2000s. But the pandemic may just have given it new legs. In 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American was reading about 20 minutes a day, up 21% percent from 2019. Book sales have also been on the rise. But those alone are not enough to give the publishing industry a clean bill of health. On the Media's Brooke Gladstone speaks with Alexandra Alter, a publishing reporter for The New York Times, to learn more about where the industry stands in 2022.'