HOME / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Who owns Simon & Schuster? Here's why Senator Josh Hawley's book was canceled by the publishing company

The decision by the company to not publish the senator's book comes due to the fact that Hawley was one of two Republicans who led an effort to object to Joe Biden's Electoral College victory

Post the horrifying events witnessed at Capitol Hill when a mob of pro-Trump protesters descended upon the building to stop the Electoral College from confirming Joe Biden's presidency, publishing house Simon & Schuster informed the public that it will be canceling Senator Josh Hawley’s book that was scheduled for a June 21 release. Hawley, a Missouri Republican has threatened to take legal action since the news was released on January 7.

The publishing company tweeted the following in a picture, "After witnessing the disturbing, deadly insurrection that took place on Wednesday in Washington, DC., Simon and Schuster have decided to cancel publication of Senator Josh Hawley's forthcoming book, 'The Tyranny of Big Tech.' We did not come to this decision lightly. As a publisher it will always be our mission to amplify a variety of voices and viewpoints; at the same time we rake seriously our larger public responsibility as citizens, and cannot support Senator Hawley after his role in what became a dangerous threat to our democracy and freedom."

According to reports by many publications including Politico, the senator was "one of the first" Republican senators to speak on the "intention to contest" the results of the Electoral College vote. His now canceled book was supposed to be published in June and was -- according to the publishing company's website -- to speak of how the rise of major tech companies “represent the gravest threat to American liberty since the monopolies of the Gilded Age."

Hawley's role in the failed insurrection is being scrutinized closely and along with President Donald Trump, the critics are also pointing fingers at him for the coup. The 41-year-old junior senator from Missouri, reportedly put out a fundraising appeal while the siege was underway. A scathing editorial was published on Jan 6 on the home page of the Kansas City Star under the headline: "Assault on democracy: Sen. Josh Hawley has blood on his hands in Capitol coup attempt." Without mincing words, the Star’s board wrote.“Hawley’s actions in the last week had such impact that he deserves an impressive share of the blame for the blood that’s been shed.” 

Senator Josh Hawley's response

In the wake of the publishing house's decision, Hawley tweeted a statement in another picture format accompanied by a tweet that read, "My statement on the woke mob at @simonschuster: This could not be more Orwellian. Simon & Schuster is canceling my contract because I was representing my constituents, leading a debate on the Senate floor on voter integrity, which they have now decided to redefine as sedition. Let me be clear, this is not just a contract dispute. It's a direct assault on the First Amendment. Only approved speech can now be published. This is the Left looking to cancel everyone they don't approve of. I will fight this cancel culture with everything I have. We'll see you in court."

Who owns Simon & Schuster?

The publishing company, Simon & Schuster has decided to cancel Hawley's book. The firm is a subsidiary of ViacomCBS and was originally founded in 1924 by Richard L Simon and M Lincoln Schuster. In May 2020, Jonathan Karp was named as the CEO of Simon & Schuster. Last year in late November, ViacomCBS had announced that they would be selling the company to Penguin Random House, which is yet to be approved. According to the statement announcing the sale, Simon & Schuster will "continue to be managed as a separate publishing unit" underneath Penguin Random House, which itself is owned by the German media giant Bertelsmann.

The publishing company was in the headlines last year as well for releasing books critical of President Donald Trump, including John Bolton's memoir 'The Room Where it Happened', Mary L Trump's book 'Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man', and the Bob Woodward book 'Rage'.

The decision by the company to not publish the senator's book can be largely attributed to Hawley's role in the failed insurrection. 

Many reacted to the company's tweet, some supported the publishing company's decision, while others are not. One user wrote, "Cancel all impending book releases from any Republican who supported Trump and those terrorists." Another supporter added, "Thank you! I will definitely remember this when I need a book publisher!" Yet another added, "Thank you. As an author myself, I understand the severity of this sort of action undertaken by a publisher towards an author, but it's necessary and right." 

There were also many that pointed out that Hawley could still publish his material without the help of Simon & Schuster while others deemed the move pointless. "A book company censoring because of the speaker's political viewpoint does not sound like "integrity". It sounds like "intolerance" and "political activism" and "authoritarianism" but not really "integrity"," wrote one user. Another added, "He can publish it on his blog and charge a fee for a pdf if he wants his freedom of speech." Another user asked, "Does a book publisher not have the right to decide what they publish?"

These remarks were made by the Internet and individual organizations, MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and nor does it support these claims being made on the Internet.