Deseret News | Reader comments: Deseret News changes to address revenue decline

Reader comments
Deseret News changes to address
revenue decline

Page:
1
2
Next >

kathyn | 3:53 p.m. July 8, 2008

This almost makes me feel guilty for going online for my news these days. I appreciate the DN but I do think that the internet is the future. I hope the DN can survive enough to keep us informed. I much prefer the Dn to the Trib.

Anonymous | 3:59 p.m. July 8, 2008

Fewer people and as Cannon said maintain the same content. It's not going to happen. I'm cancelling my subscription.

anon | 4:09 p.m. July 8, 2008

"We still expect to deliver what people have come to know as the Deseret News," Cannon said.

Come on, Joe, knock off your political spin and tell the truth. Anonymous 3:59 sees through your doublespeak and so do most of the rest of us.

Comments continue below

Dean | 4:17 p.m. July 8, 2008

I had zero responses from my Classified Ads placed in the D-News and SL-Trib. I quit running any Ads.

Craigslist is where I had great responses.

I'm not sure this info will make it online, but it is the truth.

Anonymous | 4:19 p.m. July 8, 2008

Washington, D.C. coverage has already been from nonexistent to poor. One can already find more about what our congressional delegation is doing from out-of-state news sources.

Jack Cannon | 4:18 p.m. July 8, 2008

Let's see. Joe Cannon ran Geneva Steel into the ground. Maybe he can do better with a newspaper... NOT!!

Eric | 4:22 p.m. July 8, 2008

And I will look forward to reading my new four-page edition of the DN every day. Should take about 10 minutes.

Not sure this is the way to keep the paper afloat. Doesn't seem to do much to attract subscribers or readers. Fewer of those and why would the advertisers continue on?

Anonymous | 4:21 p.m. July 8, 2008

I hope the best for DN. DN is one of the few papers that reports quality news while maintaining moral integrity. I would be disheartened if they ever discontinued their services.

Faithful Reader | 4:23 p.m. July 8, 2008

Just like Geneva Steel--it looks like Cannon is running another business into the ground and laying off employees. Whats next, outsourcing the D-news to China or India? Thats where Geneva ended up.

Ken Baguley | 4:27 p.m. July 8, 2008

To anonymous: You probably never had one. If this is not so, you are a bit presumptuous.

Good Newspaper | 4:35 p.m. July 8, 2008

I'm sorry about the layoffs. However, I do feel the the internet is the future of news.

In 25 years, we will think it was ridiculous that we used to PAY someone to run by our house and throw a folded bundle of inky, cheap paper into our driveways or flower bushes. We'd open it up and search for anything interesting while our hands get ink all over them. After we're done with it, we PAY someone to come remove our paper mess for us. Ridiculous. More power to DN for the internet focus.

Dnews rocks | 4:40 p.m. July 8, 2008

SL Libune, claims Dnews sanitizes its articles, Well the Libune is WAY left slant, I would rather have a conservative slant than Liberal. I have found the Dnews to be more fair sided on articles than Libune.

Your next Libune, get ready to X the staff.

Stantheman | 4:41 p.m. July 8, 2008

With the internet and free classified adds such as KSL offers, I think the end is near for high priced printed classified.

Cutting the business section? | 4:44 p.m. July 8, 2008

Well, I might have to just stick with the WSJ if I'm not going to get the local business news. I don't want to read warmed-over AP business headlines in the A section.

Lee | 4:48 p.m. July 8, 2008

Hopefully they laid off their morning web moderator. I'm getting sick of posts being censored for inane reasons (ie criticizing Chris Cannon's record or mentioning illegal immigration when an illegal alien is killed by an illegal alien gangster, but no name is reported)

Evets | 4:55 p.m. July 8, 2008

I am sorry that the D.C Bureau will close and the DN will depend on wire sources for Washington news. In that sense it will be just another 2nd grade newspaper. The again, why should I worry? I stopped subscribing to local papers several years ago for that reason. I went to the WSJ as my source for national news as the content was so much more complete.
Locally I still like the DN over the SLT. Still there just isn't enough there to convince me it is worth a subscription. Sorry.

Costs | 5:03 p.m. July 8, 2008

It's not because of online news readership, it's because clasified cost so dang much. $70.00 or so for 2 lines! That's why everyone is moving to the other Free local advertising source.

Sad day for Dnews | 5:00 p.m. July 8, 2008

My heart goes out for all those who were laid off -- especially those who went involuntarily.
The only good news from this is that they will start giving me the real newspaper in Utah County with broader state and national coverage. I always wondered why they thought we only care about Utah County in Utah County. If we wanted the Provo Herald, we'd have taken the Herald.

Anonymous | 5:08 p.m. July 8, 2008

Since you're online, you don't need a subscription anyway. The DN does thank you for the revenue, however.

Vvoyage | 5:12 p.m. July 8, 2008

This is a sign of the times. The Internet is the wave of the future for news-gathering services, like the D-News. The paper has to change with the world, and you can bet the hierarchy there is constantly looking for ways to adapt. The D-News will always be around. Eventually, you won't see a printed product, but an electronic version. The D-News' job is to report the news, and make it available to its readers. These days, it's just not as cost-effective to print it on paper and deliver it to our doorsteps as it used to be. The paper just needs to find new sources of revenue, and it has some time to figure that out. If you want to help the paper, perhaps you can think of what the paper can do - or provide - that people will pay for.

Anonymous | 5:20 p.m. July 8, 2008

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know.
We are not in a recession.
That's just more liberal lies.

Step back | 5:27 p.m. July 8, 2008

All you smart people with your intelligent opinions need to put it on hold. This story is about people that just lost their jobs, thus their liveliehood. And it affects not just them, but also their families.

Anonymous | 5:28 p.m. July 8, 2008

My heart goes to those who were laid off. These are tough times and I'm sure that some of them will be able to find another opportunity but I'm also sure that some won't. I know there are some nervous families tonight, The Cannons are not 2 of them.

RL | 5:31 p.m. July 8, 2008

Newspapers are hard hit in this day and age. We have so many other sources from which to get the news.
It is not just the Deseret News that is having a rough go of it. I would venture to guess that every news paper in the country is down on hard-copy sales.
good luck going foreward!
from one who appreciates the hard work that goes into putting the news out there.

Utah Valley edition | 5:40 p.m. July 8, 2008

This might be a big mistake. A lot of loyal customers down here, and you could lose them all.

Dude | 5:38 p.m. July 8, 2008

I just really hope that the Church News is eventually offered in Utah. In some form or another. It is too bad you can't get it with the Tribune. I do not believe it is available online.

Dude | 5:40 p.m. July 8, 2008

I'm saying if they cancel the Deseret News and the Church News leaves with it.

Keep looking forward DN! | 5:45 p.m. July 8, 2008

Hmmm. You want them to survive but not adapt to meet current needs? I would guess that most newspapers are adapting or disappearing. If you don't want DN to adapt, I think your vote is for their disappearance. Things change. Thanks DN for keeping up with current changes and demands - I look forward to your increased online services. Wait - in fact aren't ALL of us here online readers????

Palebear | 5:53 p.m. July 8, 2008

The reason ad revenue is declining is because a lot of people are like me: they read it online and they block ads with a web browser adblocker. I would love to see a true statistic of how many people actually buy something from a pop-up ad.

A possible solution: charge us for an online subscription. I would pay for it. I'd be happy to have a regular subscription except I hate all the paper lying around. With the additional subscription revenue, the DesNews could keep the people on.

But that's only if you would keep the ads off the pages or assume I'm going to block them.

Tom | 5:53 p.m. July 8, 2008

I love the Deseret News and will support it even in another form. It is unbelievable the service they provide the schools, often offering free copies. We may read a lot online, but the paper version is an important source of news.

We do have good luck at advertising with Newspaper Agency Corporation and usually the price is pretty reasonable for the non-professional. People do read or search via internet, the Newspaper Agency (dn and trib) classifieds.

I applaud the news for updating its practices to remain competitive. Print newspapers are great

Russell | 5:57 p.m. July 8, 2008

Gosh, once the DNews abandoned all pretense of journalistic integrity by putting failed businessman and political hack Cannon in charge, who could have foreseen revenues going down.

Offering less for the money doesn't seem like a winning strategy. I'm sorry for those who lost their jobs. I used to love the DNews, but it's time has passed.

Anonymous | 6:07 p.m. July 8, 2008

Really, how many of you would pay, say $10 a month to access all of the DN online?

Extinction happens | 6:13 p.m. July 8, 2008

I rely n the Deseret News to give me a sense of historical insight. Reading the comment in the Deseret News, I can image how people tought when dinosaurs roamed Vernal.

Joking aside: we Left Coast Liberal need a source to the secert working of conservative logic. It's not as easy as A+B=C. You can make up your own values and variables as you go.

You could in the Information age, edit a newspaper in India. You would see this, because it's easier to outsource another persons job.

I love jounralism. Be it liberal or conservative. I hate to see papers die because they have a dinosaur at the helm that can't see the possibilities.

Cannon-ball! | 6:14 p.m. July 8, 2008

Sounds like the D-News is top heavy. Throw Cannon and the rest of those who were enlisted to lay people off by the wayside.

Truth | 6:23 p.m. July 8, 2008

I'm worried because I feel the Deseret News is the only unbiased source of information especially for some of my LDS content. If this means they will loose money and give in that would worry me.

The Washington D.C. news hasn't been great. I'll support that 100% I wish I had better D.C. news which gave more information, less speculation, and a little less 'republican-only' support. This would have made it work. This only worries me about my paper.

Ema | 6:24 p.m. July 8, 2008

I applied for a job as a copy editor at the DNews last year. I took their two-hour editing test and everything, but ended up not scheduling an interview when they called me back. They keep the hours down just low enough that they do not have to offer health insurance, and I was told that very few of the copy editors ever advance. I think this at least partially explains that. I'm feeling a bit relieved that I did not end up taking a job there. I do hope newspaper are able to survive into the far future, though; I greatly prefer it to TV news.

Ing | 6:25 p.m. July 8, 2008

I wouldn't say I'm a Cannon fan, but come on, people. For one thing, he didn't run Geneva into the ground. That had already been done. He resurrected the place and gave it another 10 years of life. You can't blame him for the fact that the US steel industry isn't viable anymore.

Likewise, he's probably not to blame for the financial issues at the Deseret News. Newspapers everywhere are having the same problems. Except for the fact that 34 people lost their jobs, it seems to me that the steps the DN is taking are fine. It's the best they can do, considering that the entire business basis of daily newspapers is crumbling.

However, one of the best things about the Internet is that (provided you've already paid for access) most of it is free. I hate putting up with all the ads, but one thing I won't do is pay to read my news online. Much as I enjoy reading the Deseret News online, if it ever becomes a pay-for-subscription site, I'll be moving on elsewhere.

Anonymous | 6:37 p.m. July 8, 2008

OH MY GOSH - we will notice changes in the Deseret News in the next few weeks as the newspaper attempts to make up shortfalls due to declining advertising revenue, I guess when active Mormons know that when the prophet speaks, the debate is over, but perhaps these other individuals that let go 34 employees through attrition and voluntary and involuntary layoffs and those laid off were offered a severance package equal to 1 1/2 weeks of pay for each year of service, plus three additional weeks' still payclaim to be ï¿½active Mormonsï¿½ but may disagree with the Prophetï¿½s counsel to just "GIT-R-DONE!" than?. With the LDS Church News Paper.

John | 6:43 p.m. July 8, 2008

"Extinction happens" did a great job of displaying the wisdom and expertise of the left coast liberal phony.

Keep up the good work, and, pay attention to that spell checker dude....

Anyone who goes to the SBA, and says they want a loan to publish a paper, and put it on line for basically free, is going to be laughed out of town.

Don't really know the solution, but its a stupid business model, and my heart goes out to those who have been put out of work. I have been laid off seven times in 18 years because people like Cannon, don't have any business sense. When the bottom line is customer satisfaction, that is when the CEO and owners will make the most money, but it seems that the idea today is to make as much as you personally can, and run like heck before the roof falls on you.

Desnews, and anyone else who publishes online, has no future with chargine a subscription rate. I quit the desnews when the quit delivering to my porch. I miss the adds and the classified layouts, more than I do the useless drivel they call news.

Earl | 7:00 p.m. July 8, 2008

I subscribe to the print version and also read the DN online, as there are links online that cannot be accessed from the print version. I am sorry that people are being laid off, but hope that the DN will continue to be available in print form, as there are members of my family who are not computer literate who therefore do not have access to the online version.
I am sorry that there are those who take advantage of bad news such as this to lob cheap shots at those with whom they have political and/or religious disagreements.

Potential customer | 7:02 p.m. July 8, 2008

I'd love to subscribe to Deseret News, but there's no plan that works for me. Is there any chance that D News could adopt a Friday-Monday plan just like the Tribune? I only really can read the paper on Friday - Sunday, and wouldn't mind the Monday paper, but don't need it the rest of the week. If the D news can get a plan like this together, I'd sign up immediately.

wow | 7:14 p.m. July 8, 2008

wow.............. even with the LDS Church behind the DN it flops That is amazing!!!!
Perhaps the DN needs some behind the scenes ownership? Or does it already have it?

If Romney had been the big cheese this year the DN would have roared like a lion.

Now it whimpers like my hamster!!

Re: Wow | 7:35 p.m. July 8, 2008

The Dnews hasn't flopped. It's making some cutbacks because of the economy of advertising. And since both the Trib and Dnews get their revenue from the same sources, the Trib has to be hurting just as bad if not worse. It's not an issue of one paper outsurviving the other. All newspapers are in trouble because of how people advertise now and how people get their information. But there's no way the public can expect to get their news for free. Some how, some way, you're going to have to pay for it eventually.

Cats | 7:53 p.m. July 8, 2008

Yes, I've also noticed that anytime I send an anti-Cannon letter to the Deseret News it never gets printed even though the same letter gets printed in other newspapers around the state. This phenomenom began right after Joe Cannon took over as Editor. I've noticed that some anti-Cannon blogs also get censored.

It looks like another Cannon Disaster. I hope the owner of the Newspaper (The Church) will make some changes before it's too late.

Cats | 8:01 p.m. July 8, 2008

I love the DN. I'm sure it will survive in some form. It was just a bad decision to make Joe Cannon the Editor. He had no qualifications. I sent a letter to that effect, but of course, it was never printed.

I think anyone who thinks that Cannon did not run Geneva into the ground is naive. He, and the people he hired, were not good businessmen. It has nothing to do with the US steel industry. They had every chance to make it and didn't due to bad decisions.

I bet this doesn't get printed.

Anonymous | 8:21 p.m. July 8, 2008

Time for the church to call Joe on a mission. I still can't believe they made him Editor. Was the talent pool really that shallow?

lucky | 8:37 p.m. July 8, 2008

How the McCarthey family must be chuckling. They lost the court case but won the war as the Trib and D News are on a slow death march (along with the other paper printed usa newspapers).

Tight Wallet | 8:43 p.m. July 8, 2008

I personally would NOT pay to access the D-News online... It's great while it's free, but to pay? NO WAY!

DedNews | 8:49 p.m. July 8, 2008

I thought they were going to get more mormon and that would be it. Saved.

gopinsider | 8:52 p.m. July 8, 2008

Let's not forget that Joe Cannon left the GOP in piles of debt when he resigned as chairman.

Page:
1
2
Next >

Add your comment

Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.

Words Remaining

E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.