They said it

Irish Literary Supplement, Spring, 2009 by Katha Pollitt

"NEWSPAPERS ARE CRASHING all around us, and one of the things they are doing, in a desperate bid to save money, is cutting back their Sunday book review sections: the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Hartford Courant have all reduced their book sections. Recent rumblings from the Washington Post suggest that new executive editor Marcus Brauchli may close down Book World, leaving The New York Times Book Review as the last remaining stand-alone section devoted to books. Before. long you won't even know about the books that you can't afford to buy and that the library can't afford to stock.

KATHA POLLITT, The Nation, 2/9/09

"In another sign that literary criticism is losing its profile in newspapers, The Washington Post has decided to shutter the print version of Book World, its Sunday stand-alone book review section, and shift reviews to space inside two other sections of the paper. According to reports from Book World employees, the last issue of Book World will appear in its tabloid print version on Feb. 15 but will continue to be published online as a distinct entity. In the printed newspaper, Sunday book content will be split between Outlook, the opinion and commentary section, and Style & Arts. Book World was one of the last remaining stand-alone book review sections in the country, along with The New York Times Book Review. The Washington Post's move comes as the company, like most other newspaper businesses across the country, has been hobbled by a protracted downturn in advertising.

Washington Post

1/20/09