Introduction to Utah News Media
Utah is a Western US state that shares its borders the states Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. Utah has a population of more than three million people, with two-thirds of them based in the Wasatch Front. The Salt Lake City is the capital of Utah. The capital city and Washington County are home to more than 170,000 population of the state.
History of Utah Newspapers
American religious leader Brigham Young is credited for introducing the press to Utah. With the help of the LDS Church, he launched the Deseret News, which was popularly known as the Mormon paper, on June 15, 1850. The weekly newspaper was initially edited by Willard Richards.
The second most important newspaper of Utah was The Daily Tribune that came as an “Independent Voice” in the market dominated by religiously driven Deseret News.
Development of Journalism in Utah
On April 15, 1871, The Daily Tribune rolled out its first issue calling it a “purely secular journal” with its focus on the news related to the development of the mining and commercial interests of the state.
“It will have no sectarian bias and will be the organ of no religious body whatever. The aim of the publishers will be to make it a Newspaper in every sense of the word”, the newspaper stated at its launch.
Also known as The Salt Lake Tribune, the paper is still surviving under the ownership of the heirs of US Senator Thomas Kearns.
Post Statehood
Utah attained statehood on January 4, 1896. The US state then had more than 600 newspapers, out of which 35 papers were published from Salt Lake County.
Digital Journalism in Utah
The state population adopted digital journalism quickly and most of the newspapers started publishing online to deal with the declining readership. Just like the other states of the US, people in Utah have abandoned newspapers for news websites, mobile apps and various social media platforms.
If you are looking for exclusive information on US Newspapers, you can visit the article written by our US Media experts.
KSL
KSL is an NBC-affiliated television station in Salt Lake City owned by Bonneville International. The channel first went on air on June 1, 1949, under the ownership of Deseret News.
News Operation
KSL began its news operations shortly after it first went on air in 1949. But it gained momentum when sportscaster Paul James & weatherman Bob Welti joined KSL in 1965. Following which the channel began gaining viewership for their newscasts & within a few months, the channel became the dominant news station in Utah.
- Weekly Newscasts
As of 2020, the channel airs 30½ hours of locally produced newscasts each week. With 5½ hours on weekdays and 1½ hours each on Saturdays and Sundays.
- Online News Website
Apart from the newscast on the channel, KSL also hosts an online news website. There are dedicated sections on the website for local, national & international news, sports, weather updates, obituaries, live TV, obituaries, classifieds, latest news & headlines, and a lot more.
KSL also has an active presence on Facebook & Twitter with their social media handles regularly updated with the latest news & updates.
Deseret News
Deseret News is a daily newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah. Established in the year 1850, the paper mainly covers news & updates from the church, local news & important international news. It is, in fact, Utah’s oldest continuously published daily newspaper and the second-largest newspaper in terms of circulation.
History of Deseret News
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints established Deseret News 1850, and it first hit the newsstands the same year on June 15th. It was initially launched as a bi-weekly publication and was later converted to a daily publication in 1867.
What Do They Publish?
- A daily printed edition of the newspaper with a circulation of 40,719 copies on weekdays, and 109,330 copies on Sundays.
- Two weekly tabloids the Church News, and the Mormon Times inserted along with the newspaper on Saturdays, Thursdays respectively.
- An online edition of the newspaper with dedicated sections for Latest News, Politics, sports, business, obituaries, opinion, faith, & entertainment.
Apart from these, Deseret News also has an active presence on Facebook & Twitter. Readers can also choose to follow these pages for frequent updates.
Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune is a daily newspaper in Salt Lake City, Utah owned by The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. The paper was established in 1870 and has since been covering news, politics, faith, arts and sports from Salt Lake City and Utah.
History of Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune was established by former members of the LDS Church William Godbe, Elias L.T. Harrison and Edward Tullidge in 1870. It was initially established as the Mormon Tribune as a successor to the Utah Magazine that was withdrawn from circulation in 1869.
The paper was renamed to Salt Lake Tribune and Utah Mining Gazette in 1871 and was later shortened to Salt Lake Tribune.
What Do They Publish?
- A daily printed edition of the paper with a daily circulation of 74,043 copies on Weekdays & 84,137 copies on Sundays (As of 2015).
- An online news website with dedicated sections for local news, region, opinion, sports, culture, obituaries, latest news, & obituaries.
- An e-edition of the paper that can only be accessed by paid subscribers from the paper’s website.
Salt Lake Tribune also has an active presence on Facebook & Twitter. These social media handles are regularly updated with the latest news & updates.
KUTV
KUTV is a TV station in Salt Lake City, Utah owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Frank C. Carman & Associates and The Salt Lake Tribune, owned by the Kearns-Tribune Corporation established the channel and it first went on air on September 10, 1954. Over the years, the channel has grown to become a popular TV station in Utah.
News Operation
As of 2020, KUTV broadcasts 33 hours of locally produced newscasts each week. Apart from the TV newscast they also publish an online news website with dedicated sections for local, national & international news, weather & traffic updates, latest news, and more.
KUTV also has an active presence on Facebook & Twitter. Readers can choose to follow the social media handles for regular updates.
Fox 13
Fox 13 is an online news website in Utah covering news & updates from Salt Lake City, Utah. It is owned and operated by the KSTU TV channel station licensed to Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Herald
Daily Herald is a daily newspaper in Utah covering news and community events from the Provo-Orem metropolitan area in Utah. Established in 1873, the paper has over the years become a prominent publication in the state.
History of Daily Herald
The history of the Daily Herald can be traced back to 1873 when its predecessor the Provo Daily Times was first published. Daily Herald was quick to gain popularity and during its peak, it had nine community publications in Utah and Sanpete counties.
Since its inception in 1873, the paper has undergone a series of name changes, mergers & acquisitions until it was renamed to the Daily Herald.
What do they publish?
- A daily printed edition of the newspaper. As of 2013, the paper had a daily circulation of 32,000 copies and 36,000 copies on Sundays.
- An online news portal with dedicated sections for news, sports, entertainment, faith, obituaries, classifieds, Jobs, trending news, and headlines.
- An e-edition of the paper that can be accessed by paid subscribers from the paper’s official website.
Daily Herald also has an active presence on Facebook & Twitter. These social media handles are regularly updated with the latest news & updates.
Standard-Examiner
Standard Examiner is a daily newspaper in Utah serving the residents of Weber & Davis counties. Established in 1888, the paper mainly covers news & updates from Utah and is owned by Ogden Publishing Corporation.
Apart from the daily printed edition of the paper, they also publish an online news website with dedicated sections for news, lifestyle, opinion, sports, obituaries, classifieds, and more. The paper also has an active presence on Facebook & Twitter.
Church News
Church News is a weekly supplement circulated with the Deseret News and the Mormon Times. As the name suggests, the paper is solely focussed on covering news & updates about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah.
The paper was established in 1931 and it first hit the newsstands on April 4th. Apart from the printed edition, Church News also publishes an online news website with sections for latest & featured news.
St George News
St George News is an online news portal in Utah catering to its readers’ news & updates on matters of relevance to the communities of Southern Utah. It primarily covers news, sports, community and civic events, opinion, lifestyle, business and other matters. The entire content on the news portal is available to the users for free.
Apart from a strong presence on the web, St George News also has an active social media presence.
Park Record
Park Record is a twice-weekly newspaper published in Park City owned by Swift Communication. Established in 1880, the paper caters to the readers in Park City and Summit County and is published on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Other than the printed edition, Park Record also hosts an online news portal with sections for news & updates on Park City and Summit County, sports, opinion, entertainment, classifieds, and more. They also publish an e-edition that can only be accessed by paid subscribers.
Salt Lake City Weekly
Salt Lake City Weekly is a free alternative weekly newspaper in Utah owned by Copperfield Publishing, Inc. The paper was established in 1984 as the Private Eye by John Saltas & it was renamed to Salt Lake City Weekly in 1997.
As of 2020, the paper & its online news portal caters to the residents in Salt Lake City and Utah. They mainly cover news, politics, music, film, television and arts; movie times, club calendars, and more
QSaltLake
QSaltLake is a news magazine published in Salt Lake City, Utah owned by Gay Salt Lake Inc. The magazine primarily caters to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the state.
The magazine first hit the newsstands on April 29, 2004, and has since been covering local, national and world news, an extensive opinion section, arts and entertainment, a bar guide and classifieds.
Apart from the printed edition of the magazine, they also publish an online website.
Tremonton Leader
Tremonton Leader is a thrice-weekly newspaper published in Logan, Utah. The paper was established in 1931 and has since been catering to the residents in Cache Valley area of Northern Utah and South-eastern Idaho.
As of 2020, the paper is owned by the Adams Publishing Group and has an estimated circulation of 10,000 copies/day.
Apart from Tremonton Leader, Adams Publishing Group also publishes 4 newspapers namely,
The Herald Journal
The News-Examiner
The Preston Citizen
The Spectrum
The Spectrum is an online news portal owned by the USA Today network covering news & information from Washington County, Utah. The website has dedicated sections for news, sports, life, opinion, obituaries, and more.
While most content on the news website is available to the users for free, access to e-edition is restricted to paid subscribers. Apart from a strong online presence, The Spectrum also has an active presence on Facebook & Twitter. The website also has a dedicated section covering news & updates from Cedar city.
Cache Valley Daily
Cache Valley Daily is an online news portal owned by the Cache Valley Media Group. The website primarily serves the residents of Cache valley local, relevant information about the communities within and surrounding.
Apart from a strong online presence, Cache Valley Daily also has an active presence on Facebook & Twitter.
Cache Valley Daily Android App
LDS Church News
LDS Church News is an online news portal in Utah covering news & updates about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Utah. The website caters to its readers’ news updates on the church’s activities in the state.
There are dedicated sections on the website for libraries, archives, resources, events, and more.
The Daily Universe
The Daily Universe is an online daily student newspaper published by the students of Brigham Young University in Utah. Established in 1956, the paper currently has a circulation of 18,500 (as of 2016) and mainly focuses on reporting news & updates from the university.
The paper also has a strong presence on Facebook & Twitter.
Gephardt Daily
Gephardt Daily is a daily local newspaper in Utah catering to the residents in Utah County, Weber County, Davis County and the entire Wasatch Front. Apart from the daily printed edition of the paper, Gephardt Daily also publishes an online news website with sections for top stories, news, entertainment, podcasts, the marketplace, latest news & more.
The Daily Utah Chronicle
The Daily Utah Chronicle is an independent newspaper published by the students in The University of Utah. Established in 1890, the paper covers local news & news and updates from the campus. The paper also has a strong online & social media presence.
The Daily Utah Chronicle Online
The Daily Utah Chronicle ePaper
The Green Sheet
The Green Sheet is an online website catering to Independent Sales Organizations & Merchant level Sales people. First established as a printed publication, it has over the years switched to being digital and has been publishing unbiased news and analysis of bankcard and payment services, ATMs, POS equipment and related payment technologies in support of the ISO and MLS sales channel.
The Independent
The Independent is a free weekly news publication catering to the residents of St. George and southern Utah. Established in 1996, the paper covers all facets of local news & updates. Other than the weekly printed edition, the paper also hosts an online news website with dedicated sections for news, opinion, culture, features, calendar, and more.
Times-Independent
The Times-Independent is a locally owned and published community newspaper in Utah. Established in 1896, the paper covers news, advertisements and updates on events in Moab and the Four Corners region of southeast Utah.
Apart from the printed edition of the paper, The Times-Independent also publishes an online news website & also has an active presence on Facebook & Twitter.
Cedar City News
Cedar City News is an online news website published by Canyon Media company & serving the communities of Southern Utah. The website covers news, sports, community and civic events, opinion, lifestyle, and business news from Cedar City & its surroundings.
Other than a strong online presence, Cedar City News has an active presence on Facebook & Twitter.
City Journals
City Journals is a group of 12 community newspapers serving Salt Lake County and Ogden. Established in 1991, each of its publications is primarily focussed on reporting in-depth news & updates about a community.
Apart from the printed edition of the newspapers, they also publish an online news website & also has an active presence on social media.
Utah Statesman
Utah Statesman isa student newspaper published by the students at the University of Utah. The paper was first established as the Student Life in 1902 and was renamed to Utah Statesman in 1970. Both the paper & its online edition covers news & updates from the university campus and surrounding regions.
Lehi Free Press
Lehi Free Press is a free weekly local newspaper in Utah catering to the residents of Lehi. Other than the weekly printed edition of the paper, they also publish an online news website.
Conclusion
As of 2020, there are more than 130 newspapers & news websites in Utah serving a population of 170,000. Among the printed newspapers, The Salt Lake Tribune, with a daily circulation of 74,043 copies on Weekdays & 84,137 copies on Sundaysis the largest newspaper in terms of circulation.
Like the other newspapers across the world, the newspapers in Utah is struggling with dwindling circulation and decline in advertising revenue. This is not happening with the small papers; the condition of the main newspapers is no different from others.
For instance, the newspaper giants in Utah, Salt Lake Tribune & The Deseret News have been struggling to keep their business afloat. While Salt Lake Tribune announced that they would stop printing a daily edition by the end of 2020, Deseret News announced that they would only print a weekly edition and a monthly magazine.
While some newspaper switched to digital publications or mergers, some others were forces to wind up their operations.
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