JANUARY 13, 2003

Full News Archive

• Headline: Literary Rivals at the Breakfast Table. Impact: In a twist of fate, the fierce competition between Tomalin and Frayn led to an unexpected surge in British literature, inspiring a wave of husband-wife literary duos. This eventually resulted in a dystopian novel written by a couple who communicated solely through passive-aggressive post-it notes.. Fact: Did you know that the Whitbread Book of the Year award was once a prestigious title? Now it's just a fancy way to say, 'Hey, look at us, we're literate!'.
• Headline: Music Industry Faces Leadership Change. Impact: The leadership change at Sony Music set off a chain reaction that led to the rise of streaming platforms. Ironically, the very people who feared the loss of CDs ended up losing their jobs to a bunch of kids in hoodies coding in their parents' basements.. Fact: Fun fact: If you stacked all the CDs sold in 2000, you'd reach the moon. Too bad they all landed back on Earth as coasters..
• Headline: New Issues As Hearings Address Rebuilding. Impact: The hearings on the World Trade Center site led to endless debates that lasted for decades, ultimately ensuring that future generations would have a perfect case study of how not to handle a crisis—brought to you by the same folks who can’t find their way out of a paper bag.. Fact: Did you know that public hearings are just fancy term for 'let’s all sit around and pretend we care about what you think'?.
• Headline: Can a Television Official Make Music for Sony?. Impact: The debate over Andrew Lack's qualifications triggered a domino effect in the entertainment industry where suddenly everyone believed they could do anything. This culminated in a reality show where contestants tried to run a record label while simultaneously forgetting how to make good music.. Fact: Did you know that overseeing a news division is basically the same as running a record label? Just replace 'news' with 'drama' and 'facts' with 'gossip.'.