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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
After more than 150 years of operation, the Deseret News officially makes the switch to daily morning delivery. The switch signals the start of head-to-head competition between Utah's two largest daily newspapers. The Deseret Morning News, featuring a newly redesigned masthead, completes its historic transition today Monday, June 9.
The Deseret News has been a staple of Utah journalism since 1850, when the first copy was cranked out on a used, hand-operated press in an adobe shack on South Temple. It wasn't easy publishing a newspaper in a pioneer town west of the Rockies. Because cash was scarce, early subscribers paid their fees with wood, food, candles and animal skins. Paper shortages led to editions being printed on paper made from rags donated by the community.
The Deseret News was one of the first 20 newspapers established west of the Missouri River and north of Texas. Of those 20 original presses, only the Deseret News and the Santa Fe New Mexican are still in circulation.
In the early days of publication, type was set by hand and a press operator produced just two pages per minute. Today, modern presses print a 50-page newspaper at the rate of 40,000 copies per hour! While much has changed for the Deseret News since 1850, much has also remained the same, like the personal commitment of its reporters to deliver award-winning, insightful coverage of our world, country and hometowns.
Jim Wall, Deseret Morning News president and publisher, says this is a new day for the Deseret News, a move that enables the paper to give its readers what they want — fresh, compelling news at the beginning of their day.
So on from now on, roll out of bed and start things off with your cereal, toast — and the new Deseret Morning News.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
