Deseret News introduces Editorial Advisory Board

SALT LAKE CITY — Today we are introducing a new Editorial Advisory Board. The advisory board provides a collection of thought leaders from here in Utah and around the country. They include faculty from great universities, a former senator, prominent political advisers, community activists, educators and philanthropists. They are an impressive group of thoughtful, intelligent and purpose-driven individuals. And they reflect a commitment to the continued reach and impact of the Deseret News.

But to understand the purpose of our Editorial Advisory Board, you must also understand the direction of the newspaper itself. At the Deseret News our heritage grows out of our values. As a Deseret Media company, we share a mission to become trusted voices of light and knowledge by embracing values that include:

Aligning our organization to honor the principles espoused by our ownership

Pursuing excellence through innovation and quality

Championing virtues, including integrity, civility, morality and respect for all people

Improving lives through lifting, inspiring and helping others find happiness

At the Deseret News, we should be comfortable with and directed by these values. They are values shared by our readership, our leadership team and our ownership. They also help us connect to good people from diverse cultural, religious and geographic backgrounds. From these values will emerge a series of key topics and issues that we will emphasize. Today we introduce six areas of focus:

• The Family
• Financial Responsibility
• Excellence in Education
• Care for the Needy
• Values in the Media
• Faith in the Community

As you review our Editorial Advisory Board, you will see a group of impressive individuals whose pursuit of excellence allows them to speak uniquely to these issues. We will draw on their thought leadership to help provide insight and story development for the Deseret News. In doing so, we seek to expand our efforts to provide a compelling experience to our readers on topics and issues they care about and value.

The following team will work closely with Deseret News Editor Joseph A. Cannon and Opinion Editor Paul Edwards:

Pamela Atkinson

Pamela Atkinson has spent decades caring about homeless and low-income people and other vulnerable groups in the community. The Utah State Legislature and taxpayer donations fund the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Trust Fund, which provides money to various agencies as they help the homeless become self-sufficient. In 2007, her church, First Presbyterian Church of Salt Lake City, dedicated Pamela's Closet, which gathers donations of everyday items to be used in Atkinson's humanitarian work to the homeless.

Clayton M. Christensen