Posted on 05/07/2010 11:56:12 AM PDT by Colofornian
The Deseret News makes a strong statement about diversity: it sucks.
At the end of this week, the Deseret News will have an entirely white, male and Mormon editing staff for their news desk. The last remaining non-Mormon editor, Brice Wallace, will return to working as a business reporter and former business editor and current assignment editor Greg Kratz will take over the business team.
Wallace has officially been the interim business editor, but has held the position for almost 15 months. So he's an interim editor like Gov. Gary Herbert is an interim governor.
Before dismissing this shift as business-as-usual for the LDS Church-owned Deseret News, understand that just over a year ago the seven-person editing corps on City Desk -- the department where the news and business reporters work -- included two women and four non-Mormons. (Disclaimer: I was one of those non-Mormon editors, but not one of the women editors).
When asked about it Wednesday before a carnivorous meal of roasted meat, City Editor Tad Walch cringed and said that he hopes the current lack of diversity soon. So, at least, words are being spoken that suggest diversity is desired. But actions, in this case, probably speak louder. After all, having an editing staff of faithful Mormons is closer to Editor-in-Chief Joe Cannon's "More Mormon" utopia. It may also fit into uber-boss Mark Willes' long-term plans, if only I could actually understand what the hell Willes is attempting to do (outside of consolidating control of everything in the Mormon business empire under him, a strategy that worked incredibly well for him at the L.A. Times).
To be fair, all of the editors at the Deseret News are experienced editors ... well, all of the editors outside of Joe Cannon. They are good journalists with solid ethical foundations, and their religious affiliation does not lessen their skills. But it cannot be ignored that they are all of one faith, one gender and one skin color. It sets a tone for the rest of the staff, and reinforces the perception -- publicly and, more and more, within the newspaper -- that it is a newspaper by faithful Mormons and for faithful Mormons.
From the article: After all, having an editing staff of faithful Mormons is closer to Editor-in-Chief Joe Cannon's "More Mormon" utopia. It may also fit into uber-boss Mark Willes' long-term plans, if only I could actually understand what the hell Willes is attempting to do.
From the article: It sets a tone for the rest of the staff, and reinforces the perception -- publicly and, more and more, within the newspaper -- that it is a newspaper by faithful Mormons and for faithful Mormons.
L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO is the Vatican newspaper, with no Hindus or Amish Editors.
Utah,
The only place in the world a Jew is a gentile.
I read articles from this paper all the time. It is noticeably more objective than the Wapo or the NY Slimes, so it is obviously doing something right.
I couldnt care less if the staff is all white Mormons, or all purple people eaters. It’s a good paper.
Most of the pressrooms where I worked were dominated by leftists or liberals, most of whom did not even come close to mirroring the communities they served. In fact, those who openly expressed conservative views were drummed out. However, there was a diverse representation of liberal blacks, liberal Hispanics, liberal women, and liberal gays.
“Uh, It is a Mormon paper. So What?
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO is the Vatican newspaper, with no Hindus or Amish Editors. “
When is the U.N. going to step in and DEMAND that the vatican hire some some Atheist Editors......
Translation: Boo Hoo Hoo Hoo, we can’t 100% Dominate the news business with our PC-ness....
OK. So? I don’t see many articles bemoaning the close-to-100% Leftist composition of the major media. At least not in the mainstream media.
ROFL you are really scraping the bottom of your anti-Mormon barrel Colo. Your obsession is kind of freaky.
Maybe an editor from Jet and one from the Deseret News can do do a Trading Spaces episode.
Who or what is a Josh Loftin? Sounds like a PETA operative.
Media Matters: Deseret News, Now Gentile Free,
_________________________________________
Well now isnt that special...
Bigoted against Christians...
Utah,
The only place in the world a Jew is a gentile.
_____________________________________
I just knew I shouldnt wash my car today...
I just come inside for m sudsing the limo so it will be clean for Moms Day...
and look what happens...
Uh...
Soon WHAT??
Hey, you're right. The DesNews is church owned. It gets to decide its personnel policies.
All I'm pointing out is the contrast: The Christian Science Monitor was jumpstarted & owned by the Christian Science cult; yet they didn't have a policy in place to dump all the non-Christian Science religion editors and replace them with Christian Science only editors.
Likewise, Rev. Moon bought the Washington Times. But there was no eventual purge to rid The Times of all its editors and replace them with only "Moonies."
As long as the world its aware of this contrast, that's all I'm pointing out.
I thought this was from the OTHER paper: the SLC Tribune?
Get a life. Quickly.
Well, let me give you one example where this comes into play, in a self-censored way. You have Utah legislator Kevin Garn getting into enough moral trouble to resign less than two months ago. Garn was a former Lds bishop.
In 2002, when he was running for office, he came in to the DesNews office and "confessed" to a hot tub incident with a minor. Enough to make any self-respecting newspaper headline the next day, right? I mean you've got the candidate right there confessing in your office.
But, no, what happened?
Well, see for yourself:
* Deseret News takes own lumps on story of Kevin Garn, Cheryl Maher
* Of course the Garn story was news in 2002
From the Ogden Standard-Examiner column (2nd link above): Let’s see, Garn was a candidate for high federal office, thousands of voters were about to make up their minds on whether he should represent them in Congress. The candidate had deliberately thrust himself into the public eye by his political ambition. It’s the responsibility and trust of the press to inform the public. The candidate admits to taking a minor to a public place and hot-tubbing in the nude with her. Of course it’s news. The Deseret News editors reject that bit of information, yet probably published thousands of words that Garn’s campaign team had fed the press for months, as more than one critic has mentioned.
From that column: And some of the excuses in the story by the editors are baffling. 1) It would unduly influence the election? Yeah, I agree, but why should a newspaper care if the story is solid? 2) That “the woman was kind of a flake.” Which is a bigger issue? That’s she’s a so-called flake or telling the truth?
My FReeper comment from March 13: Reason #2 makes no sense at all at the time. Why? Because Garn wasn't disputing the story. Oh, sure, if there's a "flaky" story, much more investigation would need to be invested. But the Deseret News newspaper itself was saying Garn was "confessing" and "crying" when he came into their offices:
In the link imbedded in the story above (to the March 12 Deseret News article), reporter Jerry Spangler (no longer with the News) "and [political editor Bob] Bernick said Garn came into the Deseret News offices and met with them and several editors. "I remember him crying," and confessing what happened, Spangler said.
The managing editor, Rick Hall, still with Deseret News said: "It was last-minute — was it coming from the other camp? There wasn't time to verify it," he said.
Wow! Spangler and Hall can't even get their "cover" straight between them.
Hall now says "There wasn't time to verify it." Spangler says Garn came in "confessing" and was therefore verifying it!
Hall now says "was it coming from the other camp?" and Spangler says Garn was "crying" --not necessarily contending that the other side was engaging in low politicking.
The Deseret News managing editor needs to resign immediately! His excuses:
(1) that he doesn't remember it ("While he can't remember it..." says the Deseret News)
(2) that he does remember it -- at least enough to know it was last minute and therefore unverifiable -- all as Garn was sitting in their offices verifying it...
(3) and that despite Garn's confession, he still didn't know the source of the story...
...leaves a sad but despicable tracing of a newspaper cover-up that doesn't even make sense after giving them a hearing to explain themselves!
Internet news media or journals of opinion will need to focus on whatever their primary interest group is. Else, they'll lose their identity and will be of no use to the primary interest group.
If "diversity" is needed it's up to the READER to select it with the new technology. Editors and editorial staff should not expect that they have any responsibility whatsoever for creating it.
....Ah, but will it be entirely delightsome? So much for LDS President Spencer W. Kimball's June 8, 1978 revelation that said having black skin was no longer a sign of being under the curse of Cain.
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