Will this so-called “exclusive Executive Talk” be just another PRH-Porter Anderson promotional platform, or a meaningful contribution to the global publishing industry in-keeping with the Buchmesse’s reputation as the industry’s most important trade event?
Over at Publishing Perspectives, PRH is once again headline news in the Frankfurter Buchmesse‘s promotional journal, just a short while after Editor-in-Chief Porter Anderson was waxing lyrical about the god-like traits of the “affable and energetic” former PRH CEO Markus Dohle, “a man of articulate, animated candor when he speaks—it’s one reason that publishing audiences, like journalists, always enjoy hearing him.”
Anderson explained: “Since stepping down…Dohle has found himself in constant demand as one of the most comprehensively experienced, internationally oriented, and energetically articulate ambassadors available today for the world publishing industry.”
No matter that much of what Dohle says is self-serving hypocrisy or totally at odds with reality.
Who could forget Dohle whining about “big bucks” flooding the US book market in 2021.
“Look at these investments this week: big bucks flowing into the United States publishing industry, Storytel and Spotify entering the scene.”
This a reference to Spotify paying $123 million for Findaway, and Storytel paying $135 million for Audiobooks.com, a total of $257 million. At the exact same time, Dohle was intent on spending $2.175 billion (750% more!) on a German company gaining total domination of the US book market by acquiring Simon & Schuster.
To be fair, that particular example was from an interview with Philip Jones at The Bookseller, but at least Jones didn’t dress up Dohle in glowing epithets like an infatuated teenager experiencing first love, which is becoming the stock in trade for Anderson when it comes to PRH CEOs.
Yeah, but Markus is so “affable”, not to mention “energetic”. How can we do other than accept his word as gospel, no matter how ridiculous or inaccurate his statements?
In fact “affable” is an epithet Porter Anderson bandies about with gay abandon across the pages of Publishing Perspectives.
Andy Ventris, the disastrous director of the London book fair? “Affable.”
Stefan von Holtzbrinck, CEO of Germany’s Holtzbrinck Publishing Group? “Affable.”
Grupo Planeta CEO Jesús Badenes del Río? Would you believe, “affable”?
Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart? Gillian Fizet, executive director of the Canada FBM2020? Andy Ventris (again)? Oh, you guessed already. They’re all “affable.” Even the Greek Minister of Culture and Sports, Nicholas Yatromanolakis is affable!
Of course every single one of the above may indeed be affable beyond compare, their mantlepieces shining with affability trophies, but what even remote relevance does it have to their role in the publishing industry whether they are agreeably affable or obnoxiously rude and disagreeable, just so long as they have something to offer the industry?
And herein lies the problem: Anderson has been so busy fawning over the former PRH CEO that he singularly failed to do what a face-to-face-interview journalist should be doing – asking those awkward questions that the interviewee would rather not discuss.
When Anderson described Markus Dohle as “a man of articulate, animated candor when he speaks—it’s one reason that publishing audiences, like journalists, always enjoy hearing him”, we just know Dohle is being given a free ride to espouse his personal business agenda while the star-struck interviewer gazes into his eyes, ready to believe the sky is green with purple polka dots if that what Dohle says is true.
And now sadly it seems we are being lined up for the new PRH CEO to be given the same treatment by the same interviewer.
Dohle’s successor may be the nicest person on the planet. He may even be affable and energetic, but here’s the thing, Porter: It’s not the Buchmesse’s role to tell us how wonderful the industry’s leaders are.
Yet that’s what Anderson is already doing this week, well in advance of the actual interview. And yes, of course the latest PRH CEO panegyric includes the word “affable” in all its glory.
“Set for 10 a.m. on Frankfurt Wednesday, October 18, Malaviya’s onstage conversation will be the first chance for many international trade visitors to hear from Malaviya, the affable, witty, and well-spoken chief of the world’s largest publishing company.”
Hmmm. “Affable, witty and well-spoken.” So a bit like the previous PRH CEO, then. “A man of articulate, animated candor when he speaks,” remember?
Anderson quotes Malaviya as saying, with regard to the recent spate of PRH redundancies, “This was the hardest decision I have had to make as a leader.”
Such sentiments may be heartfelt – show me the CEO, Elon Musk aside, who celebrates forcing employees out of their jobs – but it seems Anderson wants to make sure we all know Malaviya is Markus Dohle’s perfect clone.
That Malaviya comment, Anderson explains, is “reflective of the warm personality that Malaviya brings to his role as a chief executive steeped in the importance and value of data in the world book publishing industry, and a person whose conversation readily gives way to wry, friendly laughs.”
Ah yes, wry friendly laughs. Tell me Porter, how many of those who have lost their jobs are laughing?
As for Malaviya being “steeped in the importance and value of data in the world book publishing industry”, I sincerely hope he is, but if he isn’t, no matter. As we saw most recently at Sharjah with Markus Dohle, dealing in facts is not a prerequisite for an interview with Porter Anderson. No challenges will be made, no awkward questions asked. Say whatever you like so long as its done in an affable and articulate manner.
The rest of the Publishing Perspectives article is the usual company bio’ soft-soap, and tells us absolutely nothing about how Nihar Malaviya will move PRH forward in the challenging times ahead.
Hopefully the Malaviya interview in October will shed light on that, and hopefully Malaviya, being new to the role and with something to prove, will elect to tell us what we need to know and not what the CEO wants us to hear.
But that will depend on whether this so-called “exclusive Executive Talk” is to be just another PRH-Porter Anderson promotional platform, or a meaningful contribution to the global publishing industry in-keeping with the Buchmesse’s reputation as the industry’s most important trade event.
