Deseret Morning News
Encyclopedia
The Deseret News is a newspaper
published in Salt Lake City, Utah
, and is Utah
's oldest continuously published daily newspaper. It has the second largest daily circulation in the state behind The Salt Lake Tribune
. The Deseret News is owned by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation
, which is a for-profit business holdings company owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The newspaper is printed by Newspaper Agency Corporation
, which it co-owns with the Kearns-Tribune LLC, a fully owned subsidiary of Media News Group, under a joint operating agreement. As of 2006, combined circulation of the 2 papers was 151,422.
The Deseret News also publishes a weekly tabloid-sized insert, the Church News
, and the Mormon Times
insert, both of which are included in the newspaper (in the Saturday and the Thursday editions, respectively); the two inserts are also distributed as a separate publication outside of Utah. Church News includes news of the LDS Church and has been published since 1931, while the "Mormon Times" is about "the people, faith and culture associated with the church." Since 1974 the Deseret News has also published the Church Almanac, an annual edition carrying LDS Church facts and statistics edited by Church News staff.
The editorial tone of the Deseret News is usually described as moderate to conservative, and is often assumed to reflect the values of its owner, the LDS Church. For example, the newspaper does not accept advertising that violates church standards. However, it has taken liberal positions on amnesty for illegal immigrants and on CIA secret prisons, as LDS Church leaders have openly censured any type of torture.
.
Originally a weekly paper, the Deseret News became a semi-weekly in October 1865, and was named the Deseret Evening News. That title reverted in 1920 to Deseret News. The paper began publishing as an afternoon daily in 1922 and included its first Sunday edition.
After World War II
the Deseret News, The Salt Lake Tribune
and the Salt Lake Telegram were all struggling financially, but no more than the Deseret News. In 1952 the owners of the News (LDS Church) and Tribune (Thomas Kearns
Family) entered into a joint operating agreement (JOA), where each published separate editorial material while sharing printing, advertising and circulation costs. This JOA was the brainchild of Tribune Publisher John F. Fitzpatrick
who helped LDS President David O. McKay
ensure the continuation of the Deseret News. As its architect, Fitzpatrick knew that this NAC arrangement would also benefit the Tribune. The News stopped Sunday publication for several years; subscribers received a Sunday Tribune instead. The Deseret News also purchased the afternoon Salt Lake Telegram from the Tribune. The Telegram was discontinued, and into the mid-1960s, the afternoon paper's nameplate read: The Deseret News and Salt Lake Telegram.
Deseret News reporter Robert Mullins won a Pulitzer Prize
in 1962 for local reporting "for his resourceful coverage of a murder and kidnapping at Dead Horse Point State Park
."
The online edition of the paper, DeseretNews.com, was launched in Sept. 1995.
The newspaper moved into its newly constructed headquarters in downtown Salt Lake City
in 1997.
As the twentieth century ended, the Deseret News found itself embroiled in a contentious and often public battle with The Salt Lake Tribune, centered around the terms of their joint operating agreement, the desire of the Deseret News to switch from afternoon to morning publication, and ownership changes at the Tribune. The battle was resolved with the 2000 sale of the Tribune and with the News switching to morning publication and changing its name on 9 June 2003 to the Deseret Morning News.
On 13 April 2008, Joseph A. Cannon announced in a front page editor's note that the name of the newspaper had been changed back to the Deseret News.
In 2010 the Deseret News began publishing El Observador, a three-issues-per-week Spanish-language newspaper, with the weekend edition emphasizing features, family and entertainment.
In August 2010 the Deseret News announced it would be moving its offices out of the Deseret News Building to the broadcast house in the Triad Center
, so they could integrate with KSL
's newsroom.
Among those who have served as publisher of the Deseret News were Wendell J. Ashton
(1978–85), Wm. James Mortimer, and Jim Wall (current).
and earlier a political science professor at Brigham Young University
(BYU). Editor Joe Cannon and publisher Jim Wall stepped down.
During the summer of 2010 it was announced that the Deseret News for the first time ever would have a president and CEO; Clark Gilbert
was appointed to this position. He was already CEO of Deseret Digital Media
.
Gilbert announced the future of Deseret News was leaner, and more online. In August 2010 he announced the layoffs of 85 staffers, 57 full-time and 28 part-time, including some layout designers. It resulted in a reduction of 43% of the paper's entire staff.
On 12 November 2010, Ann Cannon, a columnist who had been with the Deseret News for 7 years but had been let go , first appeared as a columnist in The Salt Lake Tribune.
The Deseret News also created an editorial advisory board to work with Gilbert and Edwards; it consisted of people with a broad variety of backgrounds:
Another part of the restructuring of the Deseret News involved the creation of Deseret Connect, a group of about 1000 screened contributors who provide content at little or no charge to the paper.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, and is Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
's oldest continuously published daily newspaper. It has the second largest daily circulation in the state behind The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
. The Deseret News is owned by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation
Deseret Management Corporation
The Deseret Management Corporation is a for-profit management company of assets for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was established in 1966 by then church president David O...
, which is a for-profit business holdings company owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The newspaper is printed by Newspaper Agency Corporation
Newspaper Agency Corporation
The Newspaper Agency Corporation Inc. is a printing, delivery and advertising company jointly owned by the Deseret Morning News and The Salt Lake Tribune, the two major daily newspapers in Salt Lake City, Utah.-History:...
, which it co-owns with the Kearns-Tribune LLC, a fully owned subsidiary of Media News Group, under a joint operating agreement. As of 2006, combined circulation of the 2 papers was 151,422.
The Deseret News also publishes a weekly tabloid-sized insert, the Church News
Church News
The Church News is a weekly tabloid-sized supplement to the Deseret News and the MormonTimes , a Salt Lake City, Utah newspaper owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, and the Mormon Times
Mormon Times
Mormon Times was a website and newspaper insert containing news and information for and about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . According to mormontimes.com, it has moved back to Deseret News....
insert, both of which are included in the newspaper (in the Saturday and the Thursday editions, respectively); the two inserts are also distributed as a separate publication outside of Utah. Church News includes news of the LDS Church and has been published since 1931, while the "Mormon Times" is about "the people, faith and culture associated with the church." Since 1974 the Deseret News has also published the Church Almanac, an annual edition carrying LDS Church facts and statistics edited by Church News staff.
The editorial tone of the Deseret News is usually described as moderate to conservative, and is often assumed to reflect the values of its owner, the LDS Church. For example, the newspaper does not accept advertising that violates church standards. However, it has taken liberal positions on amnesty for illegal immigrants and on CIA secret prisons, as LDS Church leaders have openly censured any type of torture.
History
The Deseret News was first published on 15 June 1850. It was named Deseret News because it was the voice of the then State of DeseretState of Deseret
The State of Deseret was a proposed state of the United States, propositioned in 1849 by Latter-day Saint settlers in Salt Lake City. The provisional state existed for slightly over two years and was never recognized by the United States government...
.
Originally a weekly paper, the Deseret News became a semi-weekly in October 1865, and was named the Deseret Evening News. That title reverted in 1920 to Deseret News. The paper began publishing as an afternoon daily in 1922 and included its first Sunday edition.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Deseret News, The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
and the Salt Lake Telegram were all struggling financially, but no more than the Deseret News. In 1952 the owners of the News (LDS Church) and Tribune (Thomas Kearns
Thomas Kearns
Thomas Kearns was a mining, banking, railroad and newspaper magnate. He was elected United States Senator from Utah from 1901 to 1905.- Immigration and mining :...
Family) entered into a joint operating agreement (JOA), where each published separate editorial material while sharing printing, advertising and circulation costs. This JOA was the brainchild of Tribune Publisher John F. Fitzpatrick
John F. Fitzpatrick (publisher)
John Francis Fitzpatrick was the publisher of The Salt Lake Tribune from 1924 to 1960. He created the Newspaper Agency Corporation in 1952.- Early life :...
who helped LDS President David O. McKay
David O. McKay
David Oman McKay was the ninth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , serving from 1951 until his death. Ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1906, McKay was a general authority for nearly 64 years, longer than anyone else in LDS Church...
ensure the continuation of the Deseret News. As its architect, Fitzpatrick knew that this NAC arrangement would also benefit the Tribune. The News stopped Sunday publication for several years; subscribers received a Sunday Tribune instead. The Deseret News also purchased the afternoon Salt Lake Telegram from the Tribune. The Telegram was discontinued, and into the mid-1960s, the afternoon paper's nameplate read: The Deseret News and Salt Lake Telegram.
Deseret News reporter Robert Mullins won a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
in 1962 for local reporting "for his resourceful coverage of a murder and kidnapping at Dead Horse Point State Park
Dead Horse Point State Park
Dead Horse Point State Park is a state park of Utah, USA, featuring a dramatic overlook of the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park. The park is so named because of its use as a natural corral by cowboys in the 19th century...
."
The online edition of the paper, DeseretNews.com, was launched in Sept. 1995.
The newspaper moved into its newly constructed headquarters in downtown Salt Lake City
Downtown Salt Lake City
Downtown is the oldest district in Salt Lake City. The grid from which the entire city is laid out originates at Temple Square, the location of the Salt Lake Temple.-Location:...
in 1997.
As the twentieth century ended, the Deseret News found itself embroiled in a contentious and often public battle with The Salt Lake Tribune, centered around the terms of their joint operating agreement, the desire of the Deseret News to switch from afternoon to morning publication, and ownership changes at the Tribune. The battle was resolved with the 2000 sale of the Tribune and with the News switching to morning publication and changing its name on 9 June 2003 to the Deseret Morning News.
On 13 April 2008, Joseph A. Cannon announced in a front page editor's note that the name of the newspaper had been changed back to the Deseret News.
In 2010 the Deseret News began publishing El Observador, a three-issues-per-week Spanish-language newspaper, with the weekend edition emphasizing features, family and entertainment.
In August 2010 the Deseret News announced it would be moving its offices out of the Deseret News Building to the broadcast house in the Triad Center
Triad Center
The Triad Center is a complex of office buildings in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Originally planned to be a large development, containing several offices and residential buildings , the project was canceled after only two phases were completed...
, so they could integrate with KSL
KSL-TV
KSL-TV, virtual channel 5, is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. KSL-TV is owned by Bonneville International Corporation, which is in turn owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
's newsroom.
Editors
The newspaper's editors included the following:- 1850–1854: Willard RichardsWillard RichardsWillard Richards was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to church president Brigham Young in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death.Willard Richards was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to...
- 1854–1856: Albert CarringtonAlbert CarringtonAlbert Carrington born in Royalton, Vermont, was an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was ordained as an apostle on July 3, 1870.Carrington served in the Utah Territorial Legislature in 1869...
- 1856–1862: Elias Smith
- 1862–1867: Albert CarringtonAlbert CarringtonAlbert Carrington born in Royalton, Vermont, was an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was ordained as an apostle on July 3, 1870.Carrington served in the Utah Territorial Legislature in 1869...
- 1867–1873: George Q. CannonGeorge Q. CannonGeorge Quayle Cannon was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and served in the First Presidency under four successive presidents of the church: Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow...
- 1873–1876: David O. Calder
- 1877–1879: George Q. CannonGeorge Q. CannonGeorge Quayle Cannon was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and served in the First Presidency under four successive presidents of the church: Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow...
- 1880–1885: Charles W. PenroseCharles W. PenroseCharles William Penrose was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from July 7, 1904. Penrose was also a member of the First Presidency of the church under Church Presidents Joseph F. Smith and Heber J...
- 1885: John Nicholson (acting)
- 1885–1892: Charles W. PenroseCharles W. PenroseCharles William Penrose was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from July 7, 1904. Penrose was also a member of the First Presidency of the church under Church Presidents Joseph F. Smith and Heber J...
- 1892–1898: John Q. Cannon
- 1899–1906: Charles W. PenroseCharles W. PenroseCharles William Penrose was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from July 7, 1904. Penrose was also a member of the First Presidency of the church under Church Presidents Joseph F. Smith and Heber J...
- 1906–1914: Janne M. SjödahlJanne M. SjödahlJanne Mattson Sjödahl was a Swedish convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was the author of influential commentaries on LDS Church scriptures...
- 1914: E. Leroy Bourne
- 1918–1922: John Q. Cannon
- 1922–1928: Harold Goff
- 1928: Alexander Buchanan, Jr.
- 1928–1931: John Q. Cannon
- 1931–1934: Joseph J. CannonJoseph J. CannonJoseph Jenne Cannon was a Utah politician and newspaper editor and was a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was a member of the prominent Cannon political family.-Biography:...
- 1934–1941: ?
- 1941–at least 1969: Mark E. PetersenMark E. PetersenMark Edward Petersen was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1944 until his death. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, he filled the vacancy caused by the excommunication of Richard R. Lyman...
- ????–????: ?
- bef. 1973–1984: William B. Smart
- 1985–1996: Jim Mortimer
- 1997–2006: John HughesJohn Hughes (editor)R. John Hughes was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, and he won the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of Indonesia and the Overseas Press Club Award for an investigation into the international narcotics traffic. He is a former president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors...
- 2007–2010: Joseph A. Cannon
Among those who have served as publisher of the Deseret News were Wendell J. Ashton
Wendell J. Ashton
Wendell J. Ashton was the publisher of the Deseret News and the head of the Public Communications Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was a brother of church Apostle Marvin J. Ashton.-Biography:Ashton was a graduate of LDS High School in Salt Lake City, Utah...
(1978–85), Wm. James Mortimer, and Jim Wall (current).
2010 restructuring
Summer 2010 saw multiple changes both in leadership and structure at the Deseret News. A new Opinion Editor, Paul Edwards, was appointed. Edwards had previously been provost at Southern Virginia UniversitySouthern Virginia University
Southern Virginia University is a liberal arts college located in Buena Vista, Virginia that promotes standards and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while not being owned nor operated by the Church...
and earlier a political science professor at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU). Editor Joe Cannon and publisher Jim Wall stepped down.
During the summer of 2010 it was announced that the Deseret News for the first time ever would have a president and CEO; Clark Gilbert
Clark Gilbert
Clark Gilbert is the President and CEO of the Deseret News and also of Deseret Digital Media. He is the first person to ever hold the title of president of the Deseret News.Gilbert earned his bachelors degree at Brigham Young University...
was appointed to this position. He was already CEO of Deseret Digital Media
Deseret Digital Media
__NOEDITSECTION__Deseret Digital Media, Inc. is a subsidiary company of Deseret Management Corporation. The CEO of DDM is Clark Gilbert....
.
Gilbert announced the future of Deseret News was leaner, and more online. In August 2010 he announced the layoffs of 85 staffers, 57 full-time and 28 part-time, including some layout designers. It resulted in a reduction of 43% of the paper's entire staff.
On 12 November 2010, Ann Cannon, a columnist who had been with the Deseret News for 7 years but had been let go , first appeared as a columnist in The Salt Lake Tribune.
The Deseret News also created an editorial advisory board to work with Gilbert and Edwards; it consisted of people with a broad variety of backgrounds:
- Joseph Cannon, who had up until that time been the Deseret News editor.
- Pamela Atkinson, a Presbyterian philanthropistPhilanthropistA philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
based in Salt Lake City - Clayton M. ChristensenClayton M. ChristensenClayton M. Christensen is the Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, with a joint appointment in the Technology & Operations Management and General Management faculty groups. He is best known for his study of innovation in commercial enterprises...
, a professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business SchoolHarvard Business SchoolHarvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
. - Sheri L. DewSheri L. DewSheri L. Dew is an American author and publisher, currently acting as president and chief executive officer of Deseret Book, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dew has also been a religious leader within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , an inspirational speaker, writer, and acted as a...
, LDS author and president/CEO of Deseret BookDeseret BookDeseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
, in Salt Lake City, Utah. - Robert P. GeorgeRobert P. GeorgeRobert P. George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, where he lectures on constitutional interpretation, civil liberties and philosophy of law. He also serves as the director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions...
, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University and prominent conservative Christian thinker. Also, the only member of the board who had no connections to either Utah or the LDS Church. - Matthew S. HollandMatthew S. HollandMatthew Scott Holland is the president of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.- Biography :Matthew S. Holland is president of in Orem, Utah. Holland was selected as UVU's sixth president by the Utah Board of Regents in the spring of 2009 and officially began his tenure on June 1 of that year...
, president of Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah; son of Jeffrey R. HollandJeffrey R. HollandJeffrey Roy Holland is an American educator and religious leader. He served as the ninth President of Brigham Young University and is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Holland is accepted by...
, LDS apostle. - Firoz "King" Hussein, CEO of Span Construction and Engineering a native of India who did graduate studies at BYU, is a convert to the LDS Church and currently serves as an LDS bishop in Monterey, CaliforniaMonterey, CaliforniaThe City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
- Jane Clayson Johnson, Emmy-winning journalist and author.
- Jeffrey Max JonesJeffrey Max JonesJeffrey Max Jones is a Mexican politician.He graduated from Brigham Young University in International Relations in 1982. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the National Action Party of Mexico since 1995...
, former senator and cabinet minister in Mexico - Mary McConnell, curriculum consultant at Juan Diego Catholic High School in Draper, UtahDraper, UtahDraper is a city in Salt Lake and Utah Counties in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Between 1990 and 2000 Draper was Utah's fastest-growing city over 5,000 people . Its population in 1990 was 7,143 and had grown to 25,220 by the 2000 census...
, former Rhodes scholar and speech-writer for Caspar WeinbergerCaspar WeinbergerCaspar Willard "Cap" Weinberger , was an American politician, vice president and general counsel of Bechtel Corporation, and Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan from January 21, 1981, until November 23, 1987, making him the third longest-serving defense secretary to date, after... - Michael W. McConnellMichael W. McConnellMichael William McConnell is a constitutional law scholar who served as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit from 2002 until 2009. Since 2009, Judge McConnell has served as Director of the Stanford Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School...
, former federal judge, current professor at Stanford Law SchoolStanford Law SchoolStanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located in the area known as the Silicon Valley, near Palo Alto, California in the United States. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law... - Gordon H. Smith, former US Senator
- Hannah Clayton Smith, lawyer with the Becket Fund, Princeton University and BYU Law School graduate, former clerk for Supreme Court Justices AlitoSamuel AlitoSamuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
and ThomasClarence ThomasClarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Succeeding Thurgood Marshall, Thomas is the second African American to serve on the Court.... - Catherine M. Stokes, former deputy director of the Illinois Department of Health, an African American from Chicago, graduate of DePaul UniversityDePaul UniversityDePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
and long-time member of the LDS Church and Utah resident since 2006, active with the Utah Chapter of the African-American Genealogical and Historical Society
Another part of the restructuring of the Deseret News involved the creation of Deseret Connect, a group of about 1000 screened contributors who provide content at little or no charge to the paper.