The D News will soon be dead

[shoganai]

If the church is getting out of the news business, how long before it decides to get out of the higher education business too?

The church is not getting out of the news business. They can't afford to. They are making changes and getting out of the traditional newspaper business. Their news operations will continue, but they will evolve. They will probably be heavily connected to BYU.

As a former journalist, I frankly believe they're ahead of the game on this. Newspapers are becoming more obsolete every day, yet most are refusing to make serious changes to their format.

[shoganai]

I'm that concerned. In a free society the quality of ideas will ultimately correspond to the quality of the audience. In the days of yellow journalism, the news wasn't any more reliable simply because the words were printed on paper stock. We ultimately evolved from yellow journalism because there was a market for honesty and objectivity. And where there's a market, there is profit. The same will happen with digital media. As long as there is an audience for honest, objective journalism, someone will figure out a way to profit from it.

IMO, we're headed away from the days of "balanced and objective" and back to the days of sectarian, openly biased media - which is what we had for most of early American history. Media are going to be much more opinion-based and agenda driven. People are going to watch and listen to other people who agree with them, and ignore those that don't.

Really, I'm OK with that. The key is to have a free press, unbridled by government meddling. However the ideas are expressed beyond that is acceptable. People will still find truth if they seek it, and every side will have its opportunity to get its message out there to any who care to take it.

[pellegrino]

I didn't see it. I almost never go in the Back Fence.

Regardless, I was trying to be funny.

apparently nobody does. I posted that Saturday night.

[frank ryan]

I think staff have worried for the past couple of years about layoffs. I'm sorta surprised it hasn't happened earlier. They have already started to shift a lot of the work to part-times. Gutting the newsroom is something to be lamented.

[Portland Ute]

I believe it is more like 80%. It has never been a secret.

Are all tuitions at BYU funded at 80% by the Church?

Does that extend to "scholarshipped" tuition, too?

[RobinFinderson]

Are all tuitions at BYU funded at 80% by the Church?

Does that extend to "scholarshipped" tuition, too?

Good point. I paid zero tuition most of the time I was there. Thanks guys!

[Ma'ake]

IMO, we're headed away from the days of "balanced and objective" and back to the days of sectarian, openly biased media - which is what we had for most of early American history. Media are going to be much more opinion-based and agenda driven. People are going to watch and listen to other people who agree with them, and ignore those that don't.

Really, I'm OK with that. The key is to have a free press, unbridled by government meddling. However the ideas are expressed beyond that is acceptable. People will still find truth if they seek it, and every side will have its opportunity to get its message out there to any who care to take it.

I think we're already there, and I believe it is a net regression from where we were. There is no need for civility or working together, it is counter to the interests of the ideological sects, (R) or (D). The key is to grow one's ideological market share, by whatever means necessary, painting the other guys as anti-American.

[falafel]

Good point. I paid zero tuition most of the time I was there. Thanks guys!

The Church should work out some kind of clawback agreement for situations like yours.

[YOhio]

Deseret News chief assures bright future (and daily publication).

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...ht-future.html

[Portland Ute]

Good point. I paid zero tuition most of the time I was there. Thanks guys!

I was thinking more along the lines of athletic scholarships.

[beelzebabette]

I was thinking more along the lines of athletic scholarships.

Yes, your tithing money funded Andrew George's scholarship. Hope you feel good about yourself now.

[LA Ute]

I think we're already there, and I believe it is a net regression from where we were. There is no need for civility or working together, it is counter to the interests of the ideological sects, (R) or (D). The key is to grow one's ideological market share, by whatever means necessary, painting the other guys as anti-American.

That reminds me, ma'ake -- I've been wondering about your American-ness lately. Can we talk?

[FMCoug]

I worry about the future of journalism. Who is going to pay for the high-quality, in-depth reporting? While the D-News has floundered, ksl.com has seen phenomenal growth. They have virtually annihilated the classified sections of all regional newspapers (one of the main reasons that newspapers are struggling financially). I have heard that ksl.com is one of the biggest websites in the US in terms of traffic. It is frequently studied by media companies to determine why it has been so successful. While it is a decent way to keep up on breaking news, it lacks the serious, in-depth analysis we enjoy from newspapers.

#282 in the US per Alexa. Certainly impressive for a local station in a small market.

In comparison, the dallas morning news is #704 (used that becaue it was another "go to" local news site that I'm aware of)

[Surfah]

43% of DesNews gone today. Joe Cannon and Jim Wall stepping down.

[beefytee]

Looks like Jared Eborn got the axe.

http://twitter.com/DesNewsEborn