You read that headline right, kids. Fox News and HarperCollins have forged an unholy alliance to tug at your heartstrings by creating an "enhanced" ebook about the rebuilding of Ground Zero just in time for the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. Titled "Rise of Freedom: The New World Trade Center," the ebook will contain text, photographs and video from Fox News anchor Shepard Smith. [insert joke about how it will honor Bush and only be allowed to be checked out 26 times here]I have a couple of problems with this gross exploitation that is being called an "enhanced ebook." First, fuck anyone who tries to make money off a national tragedy this close to the anniversary. All that information, epecially public broadcasts, should already be released for free or at least proceeds should go to a charity. Second, the title is retarded. "New World Trade Center" says that they are creating a new building to serve as a world trade center. That just ain't true and taints the memory of the buildings. Finally, this rebuilding is on-going. To put the book up now, before completed just smacks of an incomplete venture that they will use to make more cash as they update later.
Does it matter that Fox News and HarperCollins are the figures in this story? Outside of easy jokes, no. This is a gross example of the exploitation we will see in the coming weeks.
huffingtonpost