Sports Loses Five at Deseret News

U of Utah is right there, BYU is about 35 miles, Weber State 30, Utah State about 65, with lots of lower-level pro teams in addition to the Jazz (and all the outdoor sports and activities). It is the secondary paper, but this is the hub of a sports-centric state.

 

Idaho beat me to it.

The SLC papers are going to have a BYU beat writer, a Utah beat writer, a Utah State beat writer (well not anymore, I guess), and a Weber State beat writer. There will also be at least one, and probably two writers, covering the Jazz. Back when I was working in the area 7-8 years ago, there was also a national NBA writer, and two columnists at each. They need at least two people to cover the preps.

Right there you are at 10, and that's not including any coverage of winter sports or outdoors, each of which is big in Utah. That also doesn't include any GA work covering the other pro teams in SLC (MLS, Triple A baseball, Arena Football, etc.) Do they need 20? Maybe not. But 15 is about right as far as writers.

Just because it's Utah and only has two major league franchises, don't think it is small-time.

 

Two columnists? How many papers other than the big boys have two columnists? I'd say one beat writer each for those four schools, one Jazz guy, one columnist, two preps guys, some GA guys (covering the outdoors, etc.). No national NBA writer. No second columnist. You can do it in 12-13.

 

Dick Harmon, one of the columnists, is on the BYU beat as well.

I got a full-time gig at the right time. I covered a beat as a stringer, which will pretty much go away with the loss of the Utah County edition.

 

Ahem.



(Their MLS guy is quite good. So is Salt Lake's).

 

MLS is a minor league sport.

And the RSL guy is also the prep editor. So he's wearing two hats -- same as most people at most papers.

 

I have to chirp in and say that the D-News' sports staff was a little bloated, considering the other paper in town, which is about 60 percent bigger in circulation, has something like 12 writers.
But what do I know.

 

It's a funny thing. I never ever heard about a bloated sports staff from another sports journalist unless he/she was talking about some OTHER paper than their own.

 

The staff size numbers are misleading in some regards. One paper might have more 'writers' than the other, but those people might also work desk shifts.

From looking at the DNews staff directory, there were/are about 20 total full timers onboard including the editors and copy desk/writer combos. Several writers are part-timers.

I also know the other paper in town, given Lean Dean's history and the shared revenue erosion, might be a little nervous. It's not a good time for journalists in any market.

 

That makes me all the more odd, I guess. Just sayin'. The other paper is 120,000 circ., according to access ABC e-circ. Deseret News is 70,000. That's 120/70. The writing staff ratio was 12/20.

 

They could have 50 people and I'm sure they could find a way to keep all of them from being bored. And they'd feel it if they lost five of them.

 

DC bureau is being closed and the business section is being folded into the A section. Sunday arts and travel sections are also being combined.