This letter comes from me as a newspaper reader of seventeen years. Thinking of submitting it.
Dear Deseret News:
I am an avid print reader of the newspaper. It started with reading the comics as a kid, and has grown to reading the local articles. I have always loved the articles, opinions, and local angle of regional and national events.
Recently you made changes to your staff, content, and overall mission of the Utah's longest running newspaper. With every business venture, kinks have to be worked out in order to become good. You may call me impatient, but I have given up. What I loved about your newspaper is gone. The television listings no longer tell me why I should watch, but instead tell me the synopsis. I could easily find this information with my television descriptions. In addition, Scott Pierce also looked for what was good on TV rather than what was popular. Among these recommendations were documentaries, musicals, and where locals were getting their 15 minutes of fame. Now the "What to Watch" column seems to be biased towards People Magazine's perception of what we should be watching.
Another reason I am dissatisfied is that there is lack of the newspaper being local. In the past few weeks various sources have appeared. I am familiar with how the Associated Press and other media entities submit stories, but it appears the Deseret News is leaning on this service frequently. To illustrate an example, please take a look at the Friday section, Life Etc. Many of the reviews or articles have been anything but local. While the "Orlando Sentinel" might be a credible source, their opinions in movies may not match many Utahns. One of the first rules of running a newspaper was that the content should be up to date and localized. It seems you are neglecting this key factor.
I recently received a call with an inquiry to if I would renew my Deseret News subscription. I declined the offer and requested to join the Salt Lake Tribune instead.