Deseret Digital Media

{{Infobox company

| name = Deseret Digital Media, Inc.

| logo = Deseret Digital Media logo.svg

| logo_size = 200px

| type = Private

| foundation = Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
({{Start date|2009|09|24}})

| location_city = Salt Lake City, Utah

| location_country = United States

| area_served = Utah

| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Nate Hatch (President, 2021–present)}}

| industry = New media

| brands = KSL.com, Utah.com

| services =

| num_employees = 150+

| parent = Deseret Management Corporation

| homepage = {{Official URL}}

}}

Deseret Digital Media, Inc. (DDM) is a subsidiary company of Deseret Management Corporation (DMC), an American holding company owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). DDM owns digital assets, primarily focused on the Utah news and classifieds site [https://www.ksl.com KSL.com] and tourism site [https://www.utah.com Utah.com].

The company's first CEO, Clark Gilbert,[http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2012768534_apusdeseretnewslayoffs.html Business & Technology | Deseret News in UT cutting newsroom by nearly half | Seattle Times Newspaper] served from DDM's founding in 2009 until 2015 when he was named president of BYU-Idaho.{{Cite web|title = Clark Gilbert named new president of BYU-Idaho|url = http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865620500/New-BYU-Idaho-president-Clark-Gilbert-to-replace-Kim-B-Clark.html?pg=all|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150129053635/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865620500/New-BYU-Idaho-president-Clark-Gilbert-to-replace-Kim-B-Clark.html?pg=all|url-status = dead|archive-date = January 29, 2015|website = DeseretNews.com|access-date = 2015-10-28}} Gilbert later became an LDS Church general authority and as of 2024 continues to serve as the commissioner of the Church Educational System.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-18 |title=New commissioner of church education to deliver first BYU devotional on Tuesday |url=https://www.deseret.com/faith/2022/2/7/22918337/new-commissioner-of-church-education-to-deliver-first-byu-devotional-on-tuesday/ |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=Deseret News |language=en}} Greg Peterson was DDM's president from 2016 to 2021.{{Cite web|title=About Deseret Digital Media|url=https://www.deseretdigital.com/about-us|access-date=2021-04-29|website=Deseret Digital|language=en}} As of 2024, the president is Nate Hatch, a former Assistant Vice President of Technology at Brigham Young University.{{Cite web |title=Deseret Management Corporation |url=https://www.deseretmanagement.com/dmc-presidents/nate-hatch |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=www.deseretmanagement.com}}

File:Triad center slc utah.jpg

DDM was formed in 2009 to run the website operations of DMC. Since then, Deseret News has resumed operations of its website and DDM operates KSL.com aside from Bonneville International's digital assets.

KSL.com classifieds

KSL Classifieds is a classified advertisements website covering northern and southern Utah and nearby parts of Idaho and Wyoming. It is one of the largest classifieds sites in the U.S.{{cite news |last1=Coppins |first1=McKay |date=19 Dec 2012 |title=Mormon Church-Owned Website Suspends Gun Sales |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/mormon-owned-website-suspends-gun-sales |accessdate=18 April 2017 |work=BuzzFeed}} and the only one to draw more users than Craigslist within its local market.{{cite news |last1=Zhang |first1=Sarah |date=11 April 2017 |title=How a Mormon Church-Owned Site Defeated Craigslist in Utah |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/04/ksl-craigslist-classifieds/521916/ |accessdate=13 April 2017 |work=The Atlantic}}{{cite news |last=Warchol |first=Glen |date=27 May 2011 |title=Questions arise about KSL's booming online gun market |url=http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51848774-78/gun-ksl-com-firearms.html.csp |accessdate=13 April 2017 |newspaper=Salt Lake Tribune}}

= History =

KSL Classifieds was launched in 2000 by broadcaster KSL TV and KSL Newsradio, despite the misgivings of KSL executives who resisted the idea of making ads free for individual users, and despite the fact it would be competing with paid classifieds in the Deseret News, which is also owned by DMC.{{cite news |last1=Zhang |first1=Sarah |date=11 April 2017 |title=How a Mormon Church-Owned Site Defeated Craigslist in Utah |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/04/ksl-craigslist-classifieds/521916/ |accessdate=13 April 2017 |work=The Atlantic}}{{cite news |last=Malone |first=Michael |date=27 July 2008 |title=New faces among SLC residents, stations |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/114744-Great_Salt_Lake.php |accessdate=14 April 2017 |newspaper=Broadcasting & Cable}} It claims to be the first broadcast site to offer free classified ads, and one of the first to stream content from television and radio.{{cite web |title=Deseret Digital Media | Our Network | KSL.com |url=http://deseretdigital.com/content/view/8/ksl-com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625080723/http://deseretdigital.com/content/view/8/ksl-com |archive-date=2014-06-25 |access-date=2017-04-13}} As its launch predated Craigslist's expansion into Utah by four years,{{cite web |title=New craigslist sites added since 1995 |url=https://www.craigslist.org/about/expansion |accessdate=18 April 2017 |website=craigslist}} it was able to use the network effect to build its online presence during that time.{{cite web |title=local classifieds |url=https://www.used.forsale}}

= Controversies =

Gun control activists raised concerns in 2011 that KSL Classifieds did a disservice to its community by providing a marketplace for sellers who were not licensed dealers, since these sellers do not need to perform background checks on buyers.{{cite news |last=Warchol |first=Glen |date=27 May 2011 |title=Questions arise about KSL's booming online gun market |url=http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51848774-78/gun-ksl-com-firearms.html.csp |accessdate=13 April 2017 |newspaper=Salt Lake Tribune}} A 2011 report from the office of New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg found that KSL Classifieds had more gun listings than any other general-purpose online marketplace, exceeded only by online marketplaces that specialize in guns.{{cite web |title=Point, Click, Fire: an investigation of illegal online gun sales |url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/cjc/downloads/pdf/nyc_pointclickfire.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704225415/http://www.nyc.gov/html/cjc/downloads/pdf/nyc_pointclickfire.pdf |archive-date=2015-07-04 |accessdate=2017-04-14 |publisher=The City of New York}} KSL Classifieds discontinued gun listings in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.{{cite news |last1=Coppins |first1=McKay |date=19 Dec 2012 |title=Mormon Church-Owned Website Suspends Gun Sales |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/mormon-owned-website-suspends-gun-sales |accessdate=18 April 2017 |work=BuzzFeed}}

In 2023, KSL Classifieds announced changes to their Dogs and Cats classifieds listings to reduce fraud, irresponsible breeders and pet sellers, and better educate users via partnerships with local Humane Societies.{{Cite web |last=Nov. 15 |first=KSL Classifieds {{!}} Posted- |last2=P.m |first2=2022 at 8:28 |title=Why KSL Classifieds is working to fight fraud in their Pet section |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/50512554/why-ksl-classifieds-is-working-to-fight-fraud-in-their-pet-section |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=www.ksl.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Free Pet Adoption Week - KSL Classifieds & Utah Humane Society |url=https://info.classifieds.ksl.com/adopt#:~:text=Free%20Pet%20Adoption%20Week,%20May%2021-28.%20Those,at%20the%20Humane%20Society%20of%20Utah%20in |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=info.classifieds.ksl.com}}

References

External links

[http://streetfightmag.com/2013/05/28/deseret-vp-how-disruption-can-drive-digital-media-companies-big-or-small/ "Deseret VP: How Disruption Can Drive Digital Media Companies"]. Street Fight.

Category:Publishing companies established in 2009

Category:2009 establishments in Utah

Category:Latter Day Saints

Category:The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Category:Deseret News