What Deseret News does

Deseret News is a Utah-based, multi-platform news media organization operating under the legal entity Deseret News Publishing Company and recognized as the first news organization and longest continuously-operating business in Utah, founded in 1850. It serves general news consumers across Utah and the broader United States through an integrated media ecosystem: the deseret.com digital news platform, native iOS and Android mobile applications, print subscriptions, email newsletters, social channels (X, Facebook, Instagram), a premium video offering, the Deseret Magazine feature sub-brand, and the Church News outlet covering The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The core technical product is a digital news publishing platform delivering articles, live coverage, video, and multimedia across Politics, Utah, Sports, Opinion, Lifestyle, Entertainment, Faith, Magazine, and U.S./World categories, backed by supporting infrastructure including content management for the website, mobile app distribution via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, email newsletter delivery, an e-commerce storefront (shop.deseret.com) for branded merchandise, and event-management surfaces for the annual Deseret News Marathon. There is no documented proprietary AI/ML layer, external API, or partner integration in the source material.

The business model is diversified across recurring subscription revenue from both print and digital plans, display and sponsored advertising on the digital platform, event participation fees and sponsorship from the marathon, and direct-to-consumer merchandise sales. Distribution is primarily consumer-direct through self-serve digital, mobile, and email channels, with a horizontal audience segmentation aimed at general news readers. The company is privately held by the Deseret News Publishing Company with no disclosed parent, investors, or funding rounds, and operates with a workforce in the 251–500 range.

Name

Deseret News

Legal name

Deseret News Publishing Company

Website

https://deseretnews.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Deseret News is a privately held Utah-based multi-platform news publisher founded in 1850, delivering politics, sports, opinion, lifestyle, and faith coverage via deseret.com, mobile apps, print, newsletters, and sub-brands Deseret Magazine and Church News to general readers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

News Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Community Periodicals (Church Magazines, Diocesan/Temple Newsletters) (MPAJAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Media, Publishing & Broadcasting (Radio, TV, Digital, Press) (BPAGAJAI)

Keywords

• News publishing
• Digital journalism
• Regional news coverage
• News media subscriptions
• Multimedia news content

Headquarters

HQ city

West Valley City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Deseret News generates revenue through print and digital subscription plans, offering readers access to premium content including news, opinion, sports, and lifestyle coverage.
2. Advertising: The publication generates advertising revenue through display ads on its digital platform, including sponsored content and promotional placements across various sections.
3. Events: Deseret News hosts events such as the Deseret News Marathon, creating revenue opportunities through participation fees and sponsorship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Deseret News is a Utah-based news media company that publishes news, opinion, sports, lifestyle, entertainment, and faith-based content across digital, print, mobile, and multimedia formats. Its core offering is multi-platform journalism anchored by the deseret.com website, supported by sub-brands Deseret Magazine and Church News, and distributed via iOS/Android mobile apps, print subscriptions, email newsletters, and social media channels.

Product overview

Deseret News is a Utah-based news media company offering a multi-platform news operation. The core product is the Deseret News digital website (https://www.deseret.com/) providing coverage across politics, Utah, sports, opinion, lifestyle, entertainment, faith, and world news. Supporting the core website are multiple content sub-brands including Deseret Magazine (in-depth feature content), Church News (LDS-focused coverage), and video content offerings. Additional products include print subscription services, email newsletters, and native mobile applications for iOS and Android. The company also operates e-commerce through its shop merchandise platform and hosts the Deseret News Marathon community event. Together, these products form a unified news media ecosystem spanning digital, print, mobile, and experiential formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Deseret Magazine: Magazine publication covering broader feature stories and analysis
• Church News

Products and services

• Deseret News Website (deseret.com) Primary digital news platform providing coverage of politics, Utah news, sports, opinion, lifestyle, entertainment, faith, and world news with multimedia content including articles, videos, and live updates. Targeted at general news readers and households.
• Deseret Magazine Magazine publication featuring in-depth journalism, analysis, and long-form content on culture, society, and current events. Targeted at readers seeking premium feature content.
• Church News Dedicated news coverage of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and LDS-related topics. Targeted at LDS community members and those interested in faith-based news.
• Deseret News Video Content Video news coverage including breaking news, analysis, feature stories, and documentary-style reporting distributed via the deseret.com website.
• Deseret News iOS App Native iOS mobile application for accessing Deseret News content on Apple devices via the App Store.
• Deseret News Android App Native Android mobile application for accessing Deseret News content on Android devices via Google Play.
• Print Subscription Physical newspaper delivery service offering print editions of Deseret News content on a monthly billing subscription basis for domestic subscribers.
• Email Newsletter Service Email newsletter subscriptions delivering curated news content and updates from Deseret News directly to subscribers' inboxes.
• Deseret News Shop Merchandise Online e-commerce store selling Deseret News branded merchandise and products.
• Deseret News Marathon Annual running event organized by Deseret News, combining community engagement with brand-building, with revenue from participation fees and sponsorship.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Salt Lake Tribune: Utah's other major daily newspaper, competing for the same regional politics, sports, and lifestyle audience under different LDS-affiliation positioning. Directly comparable general-news subscription and advertising model.
• Religion News Service: National nonprofit news outlet covering religious and faith topics across denominations, with Church News serving a similar niche-to-LDS-community function. Comparable digital-first, subscription-advertising hybrid faith journalism model.
• Christianity Today: Faith-based media outlet with magazines, digital coverage, and newsletters on Christianity and current events. Closely analogous model to Deseret Magazine and Church News for a specific religious community.
• KSL-TV / KSL.com: Utah-based broadcasting and digital news outlet with LDS-affiliated ownership, covering local news, sports, and weather. Directly comparable Utah regional news competitor with overlapping audience and ad inventory.

Emerging players

• The Daily Universe (BYU): Student-run newspaper at BYU covering LDS-community and campus news with digital and limited print distribution. Comparable faith-adjacent news product targeting a narrower but overlapping LDS audience.
• LDS Living: LDS-focused lifestyle and news digital outlet serving the same Latter-day Saint community as Deseret News and Church News. Comparable niche audience, advertising-supported model, and content categories.

Broad incumbents

• The Denver Post: Large regional daily newspaper in a Western U.S. market with digital subscriptions, newsletters, and advertising. Comparable regional newspaper business model with similar paid digital transition challenges.
• The Arizona Republic: Gannett-owned regional newspaper covering a Western U.S. state with digital subscriptions and advertising. Comparable regional publisher with multi-format distribution and statewide coverage.
• Gannett Co. National newspaper chain (USA Today network) operating hundreds of regional/local news outlets with subscription and ad models. Indirect peer demonstrating the regional newspaper operating playbook at scale.

Others

• Religion News Foundation (RNS): Adjacent faith-journalism ecosystem funder and syndication partner; comparable faith-news editorial infrastructure and audience overlap, but functions as a grant-funded foundation rather than a direct news product.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DeseretNews
• Facebookfacebook.com/deseretnews
• Instagraminstagram.com/deseretnews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deseret-morning-news

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Deseret News