Utah newspaper Deseret News cutting 85 newsroom positions

Utah’s Deseret News announces major cuts

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s longest publishing daily newspaper said Tuesday it will cut nearly half of its staff and consolidate breaking news operations with affiliated television and radio operations.

The Deseret News announced that 85 newsroom positions are being eliminated, although some staffers will be enlisted for a transition period. The layoffs include 57 full-time and 28 part-time employees.

Deseret News CEO and President Clark Gilbert said the Deseret News is combining operations with KSL-TV and KSL Radio and will move to the broadcast networks’ building about five blocks away.

The newspaper will continue to publish seven days a week with contributions from readers, community figures and TV and radio reporters.

“We are in a period of massive innovation,” Gilbert said in the statement. “Audiences are migrating from traditional newspapers to digital news sources, which allows us to reach more audiences than ever before.”