Now, the romance novels will feature heroes who sexually harass the heroine in the book to go on dates with them and she winds up liking getting smacked around and told what to do.

In reverse for women. We can see how Newscorp treats women.... very badly. They'll change them just as they did television. Rupert will teach the women their place... again.

They are not my genre of choice, but I have been given them by friends who enjoyed stories of romances resulting in happily ever afters. I'm no expert, having at most read half a dozen by a woman named Spencer, I think, and never bought any myself. I didn't find any cruelty.

They have a long life as used books. The negative programming is getting worse. I now see some young women put up with more toxic men than my generation did. It's sad.

But this will certainly do it.

...to the business section, confirming from a conservative columnist that Obama's tax policies were indeed harming American job creators.

into these books? Despite how the OP has described the books a lot of women read them. If not then he is in it for the money.

Harlequin is the Walmart of the romance genre. Even at that, if you can write shortish romance, you can make decent money.

As the fiction world rarely "hires" works done but instead takes queries on finished products, Murdoch and his creeps will not have editorial say in the works themselves. If he tried it, Harlequin wouldn't last long.

He's in it for the money. And to consolidate the market. He'll have a bigger share with Harlequin in his nest.

Murdoch is an expert on fiction.