Deseret Management Corp., the for-profit
arm of the LDS Church, has unveiled both a new mission statement and
plans for increased teamwork among its Utah-based media companies. That
mission statement, "We are trusted voices of light and knowledge,
reaching hundreds of millions of people worldwide," will provide a
framework for each of the companies and their products.
Mark Willes, president and chief executive officer of DMC, will
formally unveil the mission statement during a daylong meeting Thursday
of managers of the various media companies: Deseret News, KSL
Television & Radio, Deseret Book and the newly created Deseret
Digital Media. Among the principles are "integrity, civility, morality
and respect for all people," he said.
"These are universal values. You don't have to be a church person to
say civility is a good thing. This is consistent with the values not
only of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but with all
people of good will," he said Wednesday.
DMC has been restructured in recent months from a holding company to an operating company.
The use of the word "light," Willes noted, is a powerful play on the
many meanings of the word, embracing a traditional journalism goal of
shining a light in dark places and the search for understanding and
truth. The goal is to present compelling topics and stories that will
be interesting far beyond the reach of a local newspaper or
broadcaster. But that effort will improve local news-gathering as well.
"You cannot be strong outside unless you're strong in your base," he
said.
In most instances, there will not be significant changes in what
each company does, said Willes, but all of the media companies will
look for new and better ways to use the Internet to enhance both their
offerings and their reach. And there will be times when they team up to
more aggressively and thoroughly cover issues in the community, he said.
"Every business wants to grow and prosper," said Bob Johnson,
president of KSL Television and Radio. "The new mission and values
statements that are being introduced by the DMC companies point the way
to our future growth. Our course is clear. KSL and its sister companies
will more aggressively share resources to enrich our products and will
be more deliberate in giving center stage to positive values in those
products."
There's no requirement that employees of the various companies be
LDS, Willes said. "If there is not diversity in your organization, you
cannot succeed. ... If we don't have people from different backgrounds,
from different points of view, from different religions and different
places, we won't succeed."
The change comes at a time when newspapers, broadcast news
organizations and even book publishers are facing challenges, said
Joseph Cannon, editor of the Deseret News. The "coalescing" of these
media companies points to a "positive strategy of growth and
development."
"The Deseret News embraces journalism's principles of news relevance
and timeliness while adhering to the highest standard of respect and
dignity to our owner and readers and the subjects we cover," he said.
Willes noted that the mission statement is a lofty goal, "but when
you set a very high goal, you cannot increment your way there. You have
to fundamentally rethink what you're doing."
DMC values
Align actions: I honor principles espoused by our owner in the products and services I provide.
Pursue excellence: I am passionate about innovation and about delivering extraordinary results.
Champion virtues: I promote integrity, civility, morality and respect for all people.
Improve lives: I seek to lift, inspire and help others find enduring happiness.
Work together: I look for opportunities to productively collaborate with my fellow DMC employees.
Invest personally: I seek to instill light and knowledge in my work.
E-mail: lois@desnews.com