JLHPROF Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 http://www.sltrib.com/news/1897790-155/rolly-deseret-news-rejects-ads-for I found this very interesting, in light of the recent openess of the essays AND the fact that the books are referenced in the essays to. When Kimball asked why the Deseret News would turn down an innocuous ad on a historical issue LDS officials are attempting to address, he was told by an editor that polygamy is just too hot of a topic. Why would the Desert News refuse such an ad (especially since "MediaOne, the advertising arm for The Tribune and the News, still charged full price for it — as if it ran in both dailies.")?
readstoomuch Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 That is a little strange. The Church feels a little beat up even though they came out in honesty. That is all I can think of.
juliann Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 I very much doubt daily newspaper decisions are being made at a "church" level. This reminds me of the blow up over the edited prayer at GC that was blamed on "the church" when it was a technician or two in an editing room. And that article was so garbled it was close to incomprehensible. I can see why whoever made this face-palm decision wouldn't want books like In Sacred Loneliness to become mainstream given the uproar over the essays. It is one thing to know the "facts," it is quite another to know the effect on women. We have simply replaced the taking care of widows with stuff like polygamy made the women more independent....as if the Mormon ideal is for women to not be tied down to domestic affairs. There are so many conflicting messages going on it might be a good thing to have time for the initial shock of the essays to settle in before venturing further. 3
omni Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 Ironically, the DNews editor stated that polygamy is too hot of a topic. What!?! Aren't newspapers supposed to be covering the "hot" topics? I haven't seen them shy away from covering SSM, or a number of other "hot" topics. 1
stemelbow Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 I very much doubt daily newspaper decisions are being made at a "church" level. This reminds me of the blow up over the edited prayer at GC that was blamed on "the church" when it was a technician or two in an editing room. And that article was so garbled it was close to incomprehensible. I can see why whoever made this face-palm decision wouldn't want books like In Sacred Loneliness to become mainstream given the uproar over the essays. It is one thing to know the "facts," it is quite another to know the effect on women. We have simply replaced the taking care of widows with stuff like polygamy made the women more independent....as if the Mormon ideal is for women to not be tied down to domestic affairs. There are so many conflicting messages going on it might be a good thing to have time for the initial shock of the essays to settle in before venturing further. I don't know why advertising books on a given topic, so interested readers know where to go, would be venturing further. The whole point of providing references is so interested readers know what to research if interested in more. I understand people are upset that In Sacred Loneliness didn't get referenced quite like many thought it should in the essays, but it was referenced. I don't get this line of reasoning if that's what the decision makers were thinking. 2
stemelbow Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 Ironically, the DNews editor stated that polygamy is too hot of a topic. What!?! Aren't newspapers supposed to be covering the "hot" topics? I haven't seen them shy away from covering SSM, or a number of other "hot" topics. Seems nutty. The topic is too hot for advertising? My goodness, it being hot suggests advertising needs to come. if people missed where to go for more info from the essays, at least allow them to know which books talk about this stuff.
Analytics Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 If the decision were approached from a strict business perspective, they might analyze it like this: R: Revenue earned from publishing the ad N: Number of Saints who would see the ad P: Probability that a Saint who sees the ad would purchase a book Q: Probability that a Saint who reads the book would leave the Church D: Present value of future tithing receipts from an average reader of Deseret News If R > N * P * Q * D then publishing the ad would be profitable. If not, it would be unprofitable. 2
Buckeye Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 If the decision were approached from a strict business perspective, they might analyze it like this: R: Revenue earned from publishing the ad N: Number of Saints who would see the ad P: Probability that a Saint who sees the ad would purchase a book Q: Probability that a Saint who reads the book would leave the Church D: Present value of future tithing receipts from an average reader of Deseret News If R > N * P * Q * D then publishing the ad would be profitable. If not, it would be unprofitable. Now I understand why you call yourself Analytics.
stemelbow Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 If the decision were approached from a strict business perspective, they might analyze it like this: R: Revenue earned from publishing the ad N: Number of Saints who would see the ad P: Probability that a Saint who sees the ad would purchase a book Q: Probability that a Saint who reads the book would leave the Church D: Present value of future tithing receipts from an average reader of Deseret News If R > N * P * Q * D then publishing the ad would be profitable. If not, it would be unprofitable. The idea perhaps was even more simple--if we advertise books that some might consider anti-Mormon we may experience a drop in readership from our faithful group. They may do one of those danged facebook campaigns and tell everyone we're the devil. Shoot...better nix this information sharing platform forced upon us by that danged glasnost policy from the Church.
juliann Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 I don't know why advertising books on a given topic, so interested readers know where to go, would be venturing further. The whole point of providing references is so interested readers know what to research if interested in more. I understand people are upset that In Sacred Loneliness didn't get referenced quite like many thought it should in the essays, but it was referenced.I don't get this line of reasoning if that's what the decision makers were thinking.I have no idea what they were thinking and find little use in speculating. It is my opinion that having some adjustment time might be beneficial to those who were blindsided...whether that is possible, good, bad, who knows. But that is unrelated to an advertising decision. I think the problem we are facing is that there isn't a polygamy 101 book to send people to. The information and approaches are so scattered it requires at least a dozen books and multiple articles to just get your feet wet. 2
stemelbow Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 I have no idea what they were thinking and find little use in speculating. It is my opinion that having some adjustment time might be beneficial to those who were blindsided...whether that is possible, good, bad, who knows. But that is unrelated to an advertising decision. Are people feeling blindsided by the essays? that's not been my experience, even if, no doubt, people have felt blindsided by unknown information over the years. Most haven't read them, when someone brings them up and don't see too interested. I think the problem we are facing is that there isn't a polygamy 101 book to send people to. The information and approaches are so scattered it requires at least a dozen books and multiple articles to just get your feet wet. True and worth noting.
carbon dioxide Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 (edited) If the decision were approached from a strict business perspective, they might analyze it like this: R: Revenue earned from publishing the ad N: Number of Saints who would see the ad P: Probability that a Saint who sees the ad would purchase a book Q: Probability that a Saint who reads the book would leave the Church D: Present value of future tithing receipts from an average reader of Deseret News If R > N * P * Q * D then publishing the ad would be profitable. If not, it would be unprofitable.Iif there are LDS who would leave the Church because over the polygamy issue, that would clean out some of the members who are not committed. Sometimes when one cleans the house, one has to be willing to remove stuff from the house. The Church will move forward with or without these members. People in the Church need to worry less about money. Edited December 3, 2014 by carbon dioxide
cinepro Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 Ironically, the DNews editor stated that polygamy is too hot of a topic. What!?! Aren't newspapers supposed to be covering the "hot" topics? I haven't seen them shy away from covering SSM, or a number of other "hot" topics. It happens all the time. For example, you'll notice that the Deseret News also isn't accepting any Christmas-related ads because Christmas is just being talked about too much at this time of year. So any stores interested in running Christmas-themed advertising are being told that Christmas is "too hot" right now, and to come back in a few months.
The Nehor Posted December 4, 2014 Posted December 4, 2014 Ironically, the DNews editor stated that polygamy is too hot of a topic. What!?! Aren't newspapers supposed to be covering the "hot" topics? I haven't seen them shy away from covering SSM, or a number of other "hot" topics. Usually newspapers try to cover the "hot" topics in their articles. Not so much in their ads. I doubt newspapers pick who to sell adspace to by picking the most "hot" advertising available. It might be fun if they did. Hezbollah recruiting ads? Voluntary Human Extinction movement ads? Child slave trade ads?
omni Posted December 4, 2014 Posted December 4, 2014 Usually newspapers try to cover the "hot" topics in their articles. Not so much in their ads. I doubt newspapers pick who to sell adspace to by picking the most "hot" advertising available. It might be fun if they did. Hezbollah recruiting ads? Voluntary Human Extinction movement ads? Child slave trade ads? In Sacred Loneliness does not promote polygamy, had the book in question been titled Extolling the Virtues of Child Brides in Modern Polygamy by Warren Jeffs you would have a valid point. 1
stemelbow Posted December 4, 2014 Posted December 4, 2014 Usually newspapers try to cover the "hot" topics in their articles. Not so much in their ads. I doubt newspapers pick who to sell adspace to by picking the most "hot" advertising available. It might be fun if they did. Hezbollah recruiting ads? Voluntary Human Extinction movement ads? Child slave trade ads? is this suggesting that advertising books about historic events which people might be interested in is akin to advertising child slavery, human extinction, or recruiting for Hezbollah? Hope not. That'd be nutty.
The Nehor Posted December 4, 2014 Posted December 4, 2014 is this suggesting that advertising books about historic events which people might be interested in is akin to advertising child slavery, human extinction, or recruiting for Hezbollah?No, it was hyperbole picking "hot" issues to show how silly someone else is.Hope not. That'd be nutty.Oh, well missed opportunity then I guess. Am I allowed to edit my post above to make it say that?
JLHPROF Posted December 5, 2014 Author Posted December 5, 2014 Update: The Church refers people looking for more information to one of the books that the Church owned Deseret News refuses to advertise. Maybe the Deseret News really IS independent of Church oversight...or didn't get the memo. http://www.sltrib.com/news/1904189-155/rolly-lds-church-promotes-author-that#disqus_thread
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