Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — We have a saying around the Deseret News: We don’t want the financial realities of a print newspaper to get in the way of outstanding journalism. It’s why for a decade we’ve been on the forefront at Deseret Management Corp. of digital innovations to support the great local and national journalism that our reporters, visual journalists and opinion writers are producing.
And more changes are on the way both digitally and in print.
Through the Deseret News local and national print editions, and its digital reach with deseret.com, millions of readers in Utah and across the country — and internationally — each month are seeking out our in-depth reports. We absolutely value our print subscribers, and for many there is nothing like sitting down with the Deseret News each day and discovering each page.
But we don’t want the costs and limits of that daily paper to curtail the watchdog journalism we do locally, championing the precepts of the First Amendment on speech, religion, the press and the right to gather; and in providing a watchdog role for families of all stripes — a key component to a successful society.
Our podcasts, video reports and interactive features let us provide authoritative and trusted news and features, as well as sports coverage, in unique ways. We also strive to reach you by email, and on whichever device you choose: a printed paper, a phone, an i-Pad or on your desktop.
The journalism includes strong local offerings, like today’s investigative work by Amy Donaldson who reveals that Utah’s system of background checks and training of athletic coaches in eight areas — including concussion protocols, CPR training and sexual abuse training — is out of compliance. She found that it is ineffective and without public transparency.
In February we went in-depth on the practice of conversion therapy, noting the cooperative efforts that were underway by faith groups, lawmakers and stakeholders to make Utah the 16th state to ban what was called “an abusive practice.” When legislative efforts failed, that initial story laid the groundwork for continuing coverage, reporting step-by-step with pertinent news and commentary throughout the year.
We’ve partnered with the Solutions Journalism Network to find solutions to air pollution in Utah, earning grant money to go beyond Utah’s borders in search of solutions.
Our journalist and in-depth editor Jesse Hyde received a grant from the Pulitzer Center to dissect what is happening in the Brazilian rain forest. We’ve written about changes in our climate from a stewardship of the earth point of view, trying to get beyond partisan politics and take it to the principles we live by.
It’s an effort to make readers informed so they can make decisions for themselves.
Next week, in an effort to keep our focus on in-depth reporting, we will make some changes with our print edition.
The Faith section, which normally appears on Saturday, will now appear on Thursdays in place of the Latter-day Saint Living section. We plan to have more ecumenical news and information as we enhance our coverage locally. Some columns from Latter-day Saint Living will appear in the section, but Latter-day Saint Living will no longer appear as a separate print section.
Church News, a publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will continue to be distributed in the Deseret News each Saturday and is available online daily at Thechurchnews.com.
We are discontinuing our Wednesday Family section. During the course of the past few years, we have increased our in-depth coverage of family issues, from technology’s effect on families, to addiction, to just what is it that allows children to succeed. We also work with an expert advisory panel from across the country to produce the American Family Survey, now with survey data from five straight years, to measure trends that are widely published throughout the country by major media outlets.
In order to continue to enhance in-depth coverage in this area, we are limiting some of the family features and putting others in the local sections of the newspaper. Comics and other features on this day will appear in a different section of the newspaper.
Finally, we will bring local news into the A section one day a week, on Mondays, which will allow for cost savings and allow our news teams to focus on the most pertinent local coverage through the week.
We continue to be motivated by providing the most vital news and information for you through the prism of accuracy, relevance and principle. We ask, what are the principles at play behind a news event? Why is it happening? What can be done about it? Are there solutions to problems facing Utah and the country?
We then seek those answers, whether it is local crime or national discourse on civility.
Change will continue to be part of the media landscape both locally and nationally in 2020. We’re glad to be a leader in that industry.
Doug Wilks is editor of the Deseret News.
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