Comments about ‘Deseret News introduces Editorial Advisory Board’

I have to admit I was leery of this new board, but admit I am pleasantly surprised by it's members. I'm familliar with a few of the members and their contributions to society. I am particularly familiar with and impressed by Michael McConnell.

It will be interesting to hear from this diverse group.

Did anyone else find this discussion of "values" and what the paper is going to do to promote them weirdly vague? I guess we'll see over time.

I'm impressed with the qualifications and diversity of this editorial board as I am with the newspaper's mission. I have two recommendations for perhaps two other members of the board, not by name, but by area of expertise. I believe there needs to be someone with a background in environmental stewardship. Please note that I do not mean activism. I mean someone with a deep history of personally preserving, protecting and increasing the value of our natural resouces. Secondly, I recommend someone with a strong rural heritage. Many of the DNews' readers are from small towns and someone who can provide editorial oversight relative to small town values would be a good addition to this august body.

I do like the idea of an advisory board, and I am glad some effort was made toward diversity in terms of non-LDS folks and non-Utahns. Still, it would be nice to see more Democrats. I know political affiliation isn't given here, but in some cases it's known and in many other cases it is an easy guess from the bios. Many though admittedly not all of the "values of the ownership" fit better with the Dems.

Okaythen, my sentiments are the same. These values are so vague, they can be twisted to mean anything. I've seen a lot of bad people do some bad things based on similar principles, and some very good things done because of these principles, so I'm not really sure what it adds up to.

Sounds great.

Being a low man on the totem poll - I bring no insight to this. I do however believe that is a move to better help the Des News reach a greater audience - to elevate its status among news sources. The values are the same as our company mission - to better align to our ownership. When you consider that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints owns the Des News it helps remove vagueness.

I guess I'd have to agree with the comments about the vagueness (or broadness) of the values... though I think "boring" would be more like it.

The Church News, Mormon Times, and many other media deal effectively with the themes cited. What this reader wants is some editorial media that takes a rational (not pragmatic), freedom-based stand on social and political issues (no, not like the pretend-freedom-defender, FOX). Well, the closest thing the DSN offers in that department is Jay Evensen, whom I'll continue to read.

Gee - there is a member from Mexico, but not one from Canada? If the goal is to accurately represent the North American continent there should be a Canadian representative.

Appears the DesNews bias is showing... again!

Good idea. I look forward to hearing from each of them.

This IS news. Things are changing.

Hannity dumped from KSL radio.
Bold and I think clear declaration of values.
Assembly of this world-class editorial board.
Reports of big structural changes according to rumors from City Weekly and Trib.

I'm telling you, we are going to see some great things.

TMR: "Blue, either you did not read the bios or did not understand what you read."

No - I read them, and I understood them just fine.

The new advisory board features a couple of token moderates but it is otherwise dominated by religious conservatives.

It's the church's newspaper - they can stack the deck any way they want. I'm simply observing that this new advisory board is unlikely to change either the tone or the quality of content in the paper.

The board appears to be created for the sole purpose of giving an appearance of respectability to the editorial positions the paper has always taken on local and national issues.

Very interesting indeed. Clearly something is afoot with the D-news. Notice how this new board has little representation in Utah itself. Are they transitioning into a national Mormon newspaper and away from the Utah local news scene? It will be interesting to watch...

This will be an outstanding, highly accomplished, intelligent, and fair minded board. It will also represent very well the newly articulated mission of the Deseret News. Excellent news!

I'm impressed that Des News is making changes. And it is good to see a Mexican National on the board. I hope he will truly represent those of his native land. Many of our Mexican brothers and sisters are struggling under difficult conditions either in Mexico or here as refugees. Please help them! they need our support and love.

What is the average age of this group? Newspapers are losing young readers.

This advisory board is an amazing group of proven individuals. I look forward to the contributions they will make. I know my appreciation for the Deseret News will only grow (and so will my acquired learnings). Thank you.

So why was Matthew Hollands organizing role with the National Organization for Marriage, and his extensive connections to fellow Editorial Board member Robert George, scrubbed from his biography? Or Sheri Dew's long history of anti-gay activism for that matter?
Does the Deseret News think no one remembers these things?

In Utah there are four basic social categories. Native born, faithful Mormons. Native born, jack Mormons. Non-native, faithful Mormons. Native born, non-Mormons. Native born, non-Mormon conservatives. Non-native non-Mormons. The latter category is probably the most important from an economic development point of view. Categories one, two, and four will support this change. Categories three and five will view the change with suspicion. Why can't the Church understand that native born, non-Mormon is an important part of the Utah calculus and include them in the mix? Maybe it is an a third grade classmate told me, "you have heard the truth and not accepted it, and thus,you will be in the next to lowest kingdom, just above Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo". We need to get away from these prejudices. This change on the editorial board does not change the prejudice.

Interesting that 2 founding members (Holland and George) of the National Organization for Marriage, which the LDS church claims no involvement with, are now on the Deseret News' Editorial Board.