Comments about ‘Deseret News editor to leave newspaper after 3 years’

nice spin!

do you really think your readership is that out of touch? The fastest growing paper in the country has to lay off 43% of its workforce? Get a clue!

Joe, congratulations on completing your "transitional role with the organization." Way to go! Keep up the good work!

Wait...that means you lost your job?

Why didn't they say that?

Oh, it's called "Spin." Gotcha.

Kinda like this was one of the fastest growing newspapers in the nation. That's why they're laying off nearly half its work force. Makes complete sense.

It's good to hear they're hiring more executives, advisors, and board members. They can tell the rest of the staff that they're optimistic regarding the future. I expect to hear that the new motto is "Do more better with less."

Good luck, I guess.

Best news I have heard in a while. Joe's overly-preachy editorial style does not belong in a newspaper. He belongs with the Glenn Beck organization!

Somthing is really fishy here!

In other words, if you want to read anything about Utah, you now go to the Trib. The DN is now basically UtahMormonTimes, which will have almost no relevance to Mormons outside Utah.

Apparently there are at least two readers out of touch. Big_Ben and MapleDon just don't seem to have things figured out.

Newspapers are collapsing--not because of viewership but because of an antiquated revenue model. What used to be the cash cow, classifieds, has gone the way of the doda as so many other options are now available.

It seems to me that this story explained Joe's contribution very well. He has done what they needed his leadership to provide.

Now they have to find a way to cut costs and survive financially on a greatly reduced revenue model.

So Ben I guess the answer is yes you are out of touch and Maple you obviously haven't grasped on either.

The Deseret News has the most readership growth, it was widely reported. They are not lying or spinning.

Reported at the end of April:
"The numbers compiled by the Audit Bureau of Circulations show readership for the Deseret News jumped more than 22 percent for its print and online editions during the past 12 months. Second on the list was El Nuevo Herald, a Spanish-language publication in Miami, which saw a gain of just over 19 percent for its print and online editions.

The figures were compiled from data collected from March of last year to March of this year."

When Mr. Cannon became editor three years ago the paper quoted him saying that he intended to be its editor for a very long time, that it would be his last job.

Now, today's reports make it seem as though he never said that, that his "retirement" and that of Mr. Wall are just one part of a great plan to improve the paper and make it cutting edge.

The DN leadership needs to be reminded that credibility is a paper's most valuable asset. After today's contrived stories, the paper is worth a lot less than it was yesterday.

anxiously engaged (3:05pm), take a deep breath and relax. Ben and I were having a little fun with the spin the News' management put on the company’s downsizing.

Sure, we feel sorry for those losing their jobs.

I for one have recognized that the paper was doomed to failure. Somewhere, somehow they forgot about their customers--the readers. And no company can succeed long term without serving their customers.

Then they started experiencing an identity crisis (which all of Deseret Media is going through now). One day they go by one name, change their name the next day, then go back to their old name. Bizarre.

Now it's revamping the management and executive teams and dumping their "bread and butter." They call cutting 43% of their staff and moving in with their brother innovation and leadership. Then they make the outrageous statement that this is done so they can increase their world prowess.

Somebody obviously needs to remind the remaining players that they're a small local paper, not the Washington Post.

Believe me, we know you're struggling to survive. Remember the readers and you will. Forget us and you won’t.

junkgeek | 2:54 p.m. Aug. 31, 2010

"In other words, if you want to read anything about Utah, you now go to the Trib."

Then, why are you on this board?

"The DN is now basically UtahMormonTimes, which will have almost no relevance to Mormons outside Utah."

And? Guess what. The Las Vegas Review Journal has almost no relevance to anyone outside Las Vegas. Go figure.

#1. Joe, thank you for your writing ... particularly for your scripture word series.

#2. Being a non-Utah resident, the DN is my source for both Utah and national news. Yes, I have have other sources, but I read the DN e-version daily.

Tough times in the newspaper industry, because the paradigm has changed. I don't buy a paper anymore, but read the Deseret News every day online. I very much value the content of the DN, so I am glad they are taking these steps to survive.

The Trib will eventually follow. Simple case of economics.

sounds like the dnews is a sinking ship. The captain abandoned ship and half the company was forced to walk the plank. Nobody buys paper news anymore and the on-line version makes no money so how to stay afloat??

One of the great things about newspaper comments sections is that there is no minimum requirement of knowledge or competence for those who want to spout off. (See above.)

The "Mormon Times" has been a success on several fronts, notably drawing a readership from out of state. Expanding a newspaper's market from a small (and dwindling) metropolitan audience to a national and international one was anything but a failure.

Newspapers across the country are folding, and classified ads, one of their major sources of revenue, have migrated to eBay and other on-line venues. They have to reinvent themselves or else face the fate of the dinosaurs. The Deseret News is attempting precisely that. Others, refusing to change, will surely die.

Cannon will be missed, although as is evident from the fact that there is also a managing editor, the workings of a newspaper are complexed and it is not just one person running it in any sense.

I hope the new leadership continues reforms to increase the level of civility in the comment section. We have made progress, but we still have a ways to go.

Madden and anxiously engaged and getting at the real issues. Anyway, the areticle state's the website for the Deseret News is the thing that is growing, not neccesarily its physical readership.

I really think the DN should try to break into the on-line classified market. The Mormon Times has done some classifieds, but not on a large scale.

I think in the long run newspapers could do on-line classifieds. It would allow pitching things to very specific markets.

One thing they really could do is avoid the community moderation issues of Craig's List. The whole system is easily manipulated by fradulent listings and tagging teams, so that realistically you have to proactively maintain your listing. A newspaper on-line classified would be safer from disruptive elements.

AlanSutton,
There are many factors that change in 3 and a half years. Your eagerness to act like someone is dishonest when they did not stay on a position in a changing industry, especially considering that Joseph Cannon will be the 14th members of the Editorial Advisory Board, shows that the issue is not really what is happening but your own spin on it.

Verdad,
You brightened my day. Thankyou for the comments.

Since the president of the Deseret News is still around, the leader is not "abandoning ship". Anyway, somehow Cannon staying on as part of the editorial advisory board does not look like abandoning ship, it looks like admitting that for what needs to be done now there needs to be a different guy in change.

Actually, in light of the article about the restructuring of the Deseret News, it remains unclear if the Paper will have an editor.

It may be that Joseph Cannon's job was phased out. If that is the case, than it is due to no fickleness or failing that he is not staying as editor longer.