A 'negative' light is dimmed
Deseret News government and politics editor Josh Loftin, who led a dozen writers in pulling their bylines from today's paper in a protest against top managers, talked to KCPW radio in detail about what led to it.You can listen to the KCPW podcast here. Or try here.
The protest came in response to the demotion of two editors who fought to protect the integrity of stories about alcohol liberalization, California's Proposition 8 or Utah gay rights legislation that were being slanted or killed because they were were deemed to put the LDS church in a negative light or were "not sensitive to LDS readers," Loftin says.
Says Loftin of the DNews' change in direction since Editor Joe Cannon took over:
We were carving out a niche as the best newspaper in the city and that is being undone to be the best Mormon paper in the city.
7 Comments:
Bravo, Josh. However, I wouldn't say you're keeping your head down. I agree that the News had distinguished itself over the past few years as the superior daily as it concerned all things not tinged by the Church. It's unfortunate that this move will further alienate quality reporters at the News. After something a shakeup like this, you can only surmise that the reporting staff that will be left behind will be the sycophants and believers who are not bothered by such a naked rejection of journalism's most basic purpose--to document and report honestly.
If they are going to on;ly print the things people want ti hear they should change the name of the paper. Deseret NEWS no longer applies. How about the Ensign - oops, sorry that one is taken.
Best newspaper in the city? Sounds like Josh is a fiction writer. I thought that niche belongs to the Salt Lake City Weekly.
Since all news is biased and slanted, what is wrong with actually knowing your audience and writing accordingly? The SL Trib does that all of the time.
Cannon responds... http://kcpw.org/article/7500
"Best newspaper in the city?"
HAHAHA!
If you buy that, I've got some golden plates buried in my back yard, but watch out for the white salamander.
Prop 8, Gay Rights and alcohol? Fuck, can any one say those protesting like Josh are probably all a bunch of Faggots.....Hey Joxh Harrisburg, PA is looking for reporters? Just follow the Hershey Highway!
This is pointless. As everyone knows, mormons aren't allowed to read. So why do they need a newspaper at all? Is this going to be read over their KSL station?
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