The Deseret News announced today that it launched a new section called Mormon Times. In the words of the newspaper’s editor, the section “will contain articles that will inform and edify Latter-day Saints and others who are interested in LDS religion and culture.”
Many who are critical of the Church will see this as a “so what” announcement, preferring to think that the Deseret News is an official mouthpiece for the Church. The truth, however, is that it is not. Even though the Deseret News is owned by the Church, it is interesting that the majority of department editors at the paper (those who actually control the paper and what ends up in print) are not LDS.
It is hard for any Salt Lake-based newspaper not to include information relative to the Church—after all, the Church does have a rather large presence in the city. It is nice, however, to see some added focus for information related to “LDS religion and culture.”
-Allen
Thanks for the announcement. I’m curious though, as to why you think it necessary to respond to imaginary or predicted criticisms that have not been made yet?
Human nature, I guess. I’ve been around the critics long enough to understand the mindset–if there is something that can be criticized, it will be.
I have seen this particular criticism before, however: That the Deseret News is “controlled” by the Church, as if everything it publishes has been through some sort of approval process or through Church correlation. I’ve talked extensively with editors at DMN, however, and know this is not the case.
How will this differ from the “Church News” section included with the Sunday edition of the Deseret News?
The article in the Deseret News, announcing Mormon Times, addresses that.
-Allen