Scott Pierce, longtime TV critic at Deseret News, then Tribune, dies

Scott D. Pierce, longtime television critic at first the Deseret News and later the Salt Lake Tribune, died Friday at age 64.

Pierce began applying his sharp wit and keen eye as a TV critic in 1990 at Deseret News, though that wasn’t his first reporting gig for the newspaper.

The Brigham Young University graduate began his journalism career as a part-time reporter in the late 1980s in the Utah County Bureau before becoming a night police reporter on city desk. He later moved to sports, before getting his “dream job” as a TV critic for Deseret News. It was a job that took him on media tours to meet celebrities and gave him an almost-insider’s view of the television industry. Along the way, he met television’s heroes and villains — and some icons whose encounters he treasured.

Pierce wrote for the Deseret News for 20 years, before he was part of a round of layoffs in 2010. Within a day, the talented critic had been hired by the Salt Lake Tribune, where he covered TV, but also wrote general news features, among other assignments, which expanded as the Tribune suffered its own newspaper industry downsizing. He remained there until his death.

Pierce was a longtime member of the Television Critics Association and served as its president in 2014.

In a Salt Lake Tribune tribute to Pierce published Friday, reporter Julie Jag called him “the Swiss Army knife of reporters, seemingly able to handle anything and in quick order.”

That could also have referred to his sharp wit.

Tributes were plentiful as news of his death reached his many friends in journalism. Most of them mentioned his sense of humor, his incredible talent and his versatility.

“As a longtime Deseret News reporter, editor and critic, Scott was a dedicated journalist who was real and genuine. Like so many in the Deseret News family, I will remember him for his zeal for the profession, his brutally honest television reviews, his unbending integrity, his sense of humor and his friendship,” said Sarah Jane Weaver, Deseret News editor.

“Scott was a true professional — capable, hard-working, an excellent and entertaining writer,” said retired Deseret News city editor Angelyn Hutchinson. “He was a very witty friend and colleague. Some of my favorite times in the Features Department were our early morning conversations punctuated by his delightful sarcasm. We were both fans of the original ‘Dallas,’ so to hear his take on it and other TV shows was always memorable and enjoyable. His passing is way too soon. His friends — and readers — will miss him.”

“Pierce was proud of his Binghamton, New York, roots and his love of BYU sports,” said Scott Taylor, a longtime friend and colleague first at the BYU student newspaper, The Daily Universe, and later at the Deseret News. “He initially thought I had the best gig as sports editor covering the BYU football team that went 11-1 and finished in the Top 10 nationally,” he said. “But he was always quick to remind me that he was sports editor the next year, when the Cougars went undefeated and were named the 1984 national champions.”

Taylor said his friend was perfect for the TV critic job. “It was a role tailor-made for Scott D. Pierce, with his extensive memory and love for all things TV as well as his sharp wit,” Taylor said. He added, “He loved his kids and could warm any room with his wide grin and contagious laugh.”

“Scott was always a lot of fun,” said Chuck Wing, managing editor for cross-platform news and photography at Deseret News and KSL. “Even on a day when things weren’t going his way, in his own cranky kinda way, he could crack a smile or make you laugh. He was so witty. As a journalist, Scott was top shelf. He was respected by all of us at the DNews but also around the country by fellow television critics. He’ll be missed by all.”

Susan Whitney, a former Deseret News reporter, said, “Anytime something would be happening in the news, I would just be trying to hurry and get to work because I didn’t want to miss what he had to say about it. He and Jeff Vice and Scott Iwasaki would be talking first thing in the morning about whatever current events had happened and they were also so hilarious, but especially Scott.”

Like other colleagues, she noted his diverse talents: “He could lay out pages, cover sports, cover TV, cover anything. He was such a good guy.”

When asked to comment for this story, Iwasaki, entertainment editor of The Park Record and a close friend and former colleague, wrote a tribute of his own:

“The laugh. Everyone in the room knew when Scott D. Pierce found something funny. It wasn’t a quiet giggle. It was a deep laugh that erupted from deep within his soul and filled every open space around him.

“His love for his friends. While some people perceived Scott’s demeanor as jaded, sarcastic and gruff, his soul was gold. While sarcasm was one way of him showing how much he liked you, when good friends needed advice, he wasn’t afraid to let them inside his world. He would sit down with them, look them in the eyes and listen. After a pause, he would give the most thought-provoking and inspired advice that made a difference. If you were a friend, you knew it.”

And finally, “His love for family. He has spent nights awake caring for his sick children and his furry kids. During family parties, the family members would try to outdo each other with sarcastic barbs, fun-loving nudging and boisterous laughter which brings me back to … everyone in the room knew when Scott found something funny.”

Scott D. Pierce was born April 17, 1960, to Donald and Mary Lou Pierce and grew up in Endwell, New York. At BYU he was editor of The Daily University, the campus newspaper.

More than anything, he was a family man who doted on his three children: Hillary, Jonathon and Amanda. He also doted on his fur kids, filling his Facebook with photos of his beloved pets.

Pierce is survived by his partner, Rob Sonoda; his three children: Amanda Pierce (Jeremy Tyrrell), and twins Hillary Pierce and Jonathon Pierce; and by his granddaughter, Remi Tyrrell, as well as siblings. Plans for a memorial service are pending.