What Embargo?
Bob Woodward was making headlines again last week, including: "Woodward Book Debut Not Quite as Planned," in The New York Times. Someone "scooped" Woodward's publisher,
Simon & Schuster, by leaking details on his new book, State of Denial, ahead of the company's planned promotional schedule, breaking some embargoes.
As a result of this leak, Simon & Schuster moved up the release date of the book, allowing bookstores to put it on the shelves ahead of schedule.
The move begs the question of when breaking an embargo is a serious offense, rather than a "change in plans." Simon & Schuster said bookstores that broke the embargo
violated a principle. But PR experts noted that controlling information during book roll-outs "doesn't work any more." Is rolling with the punches the best we can do?