Community guidelines

Commenting policies for the Deseret News online community

Thank you for your interest in the Deseret News online community.

This is a forum for thoughtful commentary and civil dialogue intended to enlighten other readers with additional insights or counterpoints.

Community guidelines

We encourage comments that:

  • Promote civil and constructive dialogue.
  • Respect other community members and show empathy.
  • Find common ground with other community members.
  • Are considerate of minors and victims of crime and tragedy.
  • Foster a sense of community.

We will not permit:

  • Hostile, insensitive or sweeping characterizations based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, ability or mental illness.
  • Harassment or threats.
  • Obscenity, vulgarity and profanity (including creative swearing or expletives with letters followed by dashes or other symbols).
  • Insensitivity to tragedy and death.
  • Personal attacks.
  • Plagiarism.
  • Unconfirmed claims, unfair speculation or rumors.
  • Commercial or employment promotion, solicitation or requests for donations.

Other considerations

  • Sports: We realize that banter is part of the game. Just don’t get personal.
  • Political figures: Criticism of elected officials is part of democracy. Find a way to disagree without being disagreeable.
  • Public figures and celebrities: People in the spotlight are subject to more scrutiny than private citizens.
  • High school athletes: We will be more strict about comments and criticism involving minors.
  • Deseret News staff: We welcome genuine criticism and feedback. Criticize the reporting, not the reporter.
  • Other commenters: If you call commenters derogatory names, your comment will be deleted.

Questions

The Deseret News will exercise sole discretion on whether a comment violates our code of conduct. While we’re happy to respond to sincere (and civil) questions about our policies, we may be unable to answer specific questions about why a particular comment was rejected. 

If you have a question, you may want to start by reading our Q&A.

We are interested in your suggestions for improving our comment section experience. 

If your question wasn’t addressed or you want to share feedback, you can reach us by email at comments@deseretnews.com.

Last revised: Nov. 18, 2021