Keith B. McMullin, chairman of the Deseret News Publishing Company Board of Directors, named Doug Wilks as the Editor of the Deseret News.
Wilks, who previously served as News Division Managing Editor for both Deseret News Publishing and KSL Broadcasting, replaces Paul Edwards, whom Gov. Gary Herbert today named as Deputy Chief of Staff for policy and communications in his administration.
“We are deeply grateful for the timely and accomplished service of Paul Edwards,” said McMullin. “Paul has elevated the stature of the Deseret News not only in Utah but throughout the newspaper industry nationwide, and he will certainly bring the same rigor to his new post in Gov. Herbert’s administration. By the same token, we warmly welcome Doug Wilks as the new Editor of the Deseret News and feel confident that he, with his rich background in the news industry, will continue to build and strengthen the voice and reach of this venerable news organization.”
In announcing the Wilks appointment to employees, McMullin said the new editor is an “experienced and thoughtful news veteran and a much respected leader who knows how to lead by persuasion and example. We feel confident,” said McMullin, “about the future of the Deseret News, and we look forward to Doug’s editorial leadership moving forward.”
For five years Wilks has served as the News Division Managing Editor, leading a multi-platform newsroom for the Deseret News and KSL TV and Radio, as well as having influence on all of the Deseret Management Corporation’s digital news platforms, including deseretnews.com and ksl.com. The innovative and cooperative work of the news team has been a model for others both inside and outside the country.
Wilks’ extensive background in the news industry spans more than 30 years. Prior to joining the Deseret News and KSL, he worked in various editing and leadership capacities in the team-structured newsroom of The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, California, then part of the New York Times Regional Media Group. He is a past city editor for the Marin Independent Journal, formerly with Gannett, and led the newsroom as managing editor and city editor of the Napa Valley Register, then a Scripps League Newspapers publication.
In announcing this change in Deseret News leadership, McMullin commended Edwards for the intellectual rigor and thoughtful analysis he has brought to the Deseret News as its Editor for almost five years.
“We will miss the insights Paul Edwards brought to bear on some of the compelling issues of our time. He will leave a lasting imprint on the Deseret News,” McMullin said.
