Does Big Publishing Do Enough to Empower the Disenfranchised?

By Edward Nawotka

Today’s lead story profiles the winner of this year UK Young Publishing Entrepreneur Prize, Gavin Weale, who plans to launch a magazine to be run by at-risk young people in South African townships. The idea mirrors an already successful project in London, which has helped some 75 kids stay in school or find jobs, and otherwise indoctrinate them into the publishing industry.

But this raises the question: While the publishing industry in general laments the lack of readers, is it doing enough charity among the disenfranchised and underpriviledged — the very people who might benefit most by reading?

And, perhaps an even more important question to consider: What do you do?

Read the story and then let us know what you think — or might even be working on — in the comments below.

READ: Our earlier look at “The Rise of Cause Publishing”