Commentary: Penguin Random House S&S merger kills diversity - Los Angeles Times

Consolidation in the book industry is never popular, but at a time when diversity - of employees, authors, books and opinions - is being scrutinized in every corner, it feels especially ill-timed. There is also the prospect of an incoming administration less friendly to monopolies. A bald attempt to dominate a precarious business, the imminent merger might capture the attention of the antitrust division of the Department of Justice. It should.

It should also worry the fragile ecosystem of small independent publishers - like me - who are vying for the same shelf space in bookstores but have none of the resources of PRHS&S. And ultimately, it should worry any reader hoping to discover voices or opinions they haven't heard before.