With audiobooks growing in popularity and a sizeable number of listeners opting to listen to the audiobooks without using headphones while being in public, here is a new issue that has come to the fore. The audiobook might contain stuff that others may find offensive and it is this that has prompted publisher Hachette to include trigger warnings with the audiobooks. This way, listeners would be better aware the audiobook might contain things that could be offensive to others. This is particularly applicable if they are listening to audiobooks in public and without headphones.
Hachette said they have added the trigger warning to the thriller, Small Mercies which comes with a note that says, “Please be aware that this audiobook covers themes of racism and abuse, using language which may cause offence to others if you’re listening in public.” As The Telegraph.co.uk stated, the trigger warning has been provided by the publishers and not Audible where the audiobook is hosted. Such warnings are aimed at making listeners aware that the book might include racial or abusive content that might not be to the liking of all.
This is particularly applicable to content that might be set in a bygone era where racial prejudices were widely prevalent. Take for instance the story Small Mercies which is set in Boston in 1974. Written by the best-selling American author Dennis Lehane, the story depicts fictional murders taking place and is set in the backdrop of widespread unrest taking place over the issue of desegregation of schools in the city at that time.
Hachette cited an Ofcom research conducted in 2022 as one of the primary reasons for including trigger warnings with audiobooks. The research revealed nearly half of the respondents, or 46 percent, to be specific, listen to audiobooks in public without using headphones. The research further revealed 45 percent made video calls and 36 percent listened to music in public sans headphones, which means audio content could be listened to by others as well.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.