Media Decoder

Sales are falling and critics say the company lacks a direction, sometimes seeming to give priority to sales of gifts and tchotchkes over books.

The shark movie was expected to take in $20 million. Instead, “The Meg” collected $44.5 million. Among highbrow films, “BlacKkKlansman” posted solid results.

The investment of venture capital money into ad tech start-ups is falling sharply, helping push a wave of acquisitions.

The well-regarded science writer took up poker while researching a book. Now she’s on the professional circuit.

Slippery-slope fears about mass censorship by social media platforms are probably overblown. But many valid questions remain.

An author and publisher with an eclectic bent, she was a founder of Academy Chicago, which sold feminist, mystery, literary and children’s books.

On “Morning Edition,” the host Noel King pushed back against the race-ranking remarks, but critics said the interview allowed a bigot to spread his message.