Who Is Deseret News For?

Updated

Deseret News is best suited to readers who want Utah-focused news, coverage of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a mix of U.S. politics, sports, outdoors, and opinion writing. If you mainly want national breaking news from a general-interest outlet, or you are looking for a publication with no religious or cultural angle, it is probably not your first choice.

The core audience

Based on the site's own sections and story mix, Deseret News serves several overlapping groups:

  • Utah residents and people with Utah ties. The homepage leads with a "Utah" section and local datelines such as a Utahn killed fighting a California wildfire, a Utah postal worker accused of discarding mail-in ballots, and a state education survey. Local readers get community-level stories that national outlets rarely cover.
  • Latter-day Saint readers and those interested in religion. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a recurring subject, not an occasional one. Examples include Pew Research Center data on Latter-day Saint family life and religious retention, and a story about an NHL team honoring a Latter-day Saint coach.
  • Readers who want faith-and-family framing on broader topics. A featured column asks "The No. 1 factor in whether kids keep the faith? What they see at home," and another piece covers how Trump's recovery team came to Utah around themes of "community, accountability and faith."
  • General news readers interested in politics, sports, and the outdoors. The site carries U.S. and world politics (Hunter Biden and Sen. Curtis), college football (Utah football scouting coverage), and outdoors reporting (a proposal for a state-supported ski resort).

What the coverage looks like in practice

Section What you will find Example from the site
Utah Local news, community issues, state politics Postal worker accused of discarding ballots; Utah education ranking
U.S. & World National and international stories, often with a Utah angle U.S. military expansion in Greenland and how it could affect Utah
Politics Campaigns, officials, policy Hunter Biden responding to Sen. Curtis
Sports College and pro sports, local teams Iowa State coach scouting the No. 15 Utes
Outdoors Recreation and land-use debates Proposal for a state-built ski resort
Featured Voices Columns and commentary from journalists and contributors Essays on addiction, children's books, and America's finances

Who should look elsewhere

  • Readers who want straight wire-style national news with no religious or regional lens. The perspective is part of the product, not a side feature.
  • People outside Utah with no interest in the state or Latter-day Saint topics. Much of the distinctive reporting assumes that interest.
  • Readers who want only one narrow beat. Deseret News is a general-interest outlet, so coverage is spread across many sections rather than deep in a single one.

A quick way to decide

Open the homepage and scan the "Utah," "Top Stories," and "Videos" headings. If the mix of local Utah reporting, faith-related coverage, politics, sports, and opinion columns matches what you read regularly, Deseret News fits. If you find yourself skipping the Utah and religion stories to get to national headlines, a general national outlet will serve you better.

Note that the site references print subscriptions through its subscription pages; specific pricing and access terms are not stated in the available material, so check those pages directly if cost matters to you.