This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Readers of both The Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News got something extra in Friday's paper: A "Rivalry Week" copy of the University of Utah's student paper, The Daily Utah Chronicle.

It's a tradition that one Chronicle officials said goes back five years in both papers — but D-News editors were none too happy about the results when they landed on their readers' doorsteps.

In a "Letter to Our Readers" published Saturday, D-News editors wrote that the Chrony was "mistakenly inserted" into the D-News. "The content of the Chronicle insert fell far below Deseret News editorial standards," the letter said, calling the content "uncivil and sophomoric."

What could the D-News editors have found "uncivil and sophomoric"? References to the "Holy War" between the Utes and Brigham Young University (which, like the D-News, is run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)? A story headlined "BYU listed in 'douchiest' college ranks"? An appraisal of literary figures from the two schools, contrasting Western legend Wallace Stegner (a U. of U. alum) with BYU grad and Twilight author Stephenie Meyer?

Undaunted, Chronicle editor Brandon Beifuss countered this morning with his own "Letter to Our Readers," arguing there was no mistake in the planned distribution of his paper in both the Tribune and D-News on Friday.

Beifuss wrote — and Jake Sorensen, the Chronicle's business manager, later confirmed — that the "Rivalry Week" edition of the student paper has appeared in both papers since 2007.

Further, Beifuss wrote, "The allegations that The Chronicle's content is 'uncivil and sophomoric' degrades the value of the reporting that is evident in stories such as the underground secular society in Utah Valley with BYU members, 'The Group: Utah County's covert secular community.' "

UPDATE: Brent Low, president and CEO of MediaOne, sent this statement:

The Chronicle insert was in fact mistakenly inserted into the Deseret News by MediaOne. Last year after the Chronicle was inserted into the newspapers, I met with the Chronicle publisher business manager and editor and informed them that MediaOne would no longer accept insertion of the product into the Deseret News. The product will not be inserted into the newspaper, in the future.

UPDATE 2: There is some disagreement about when the meeting Low describes took place.

Sorensen, the business manager, said it took place after the 2009 "Rivalry Week" Chronicle was published. Sorensen and the Chronicle's editor in the fall of 2010, Sara Copeland, talked MediaOne into a one-year reprieve.

Low, when contacted later, recalled conversations with Sorensen after both the 2009 and 2010 editions.

Copeland (who now works on the Tribune's copy desk) said she had no such conversation with any MediaOne officials after her 2010 edition — which, she was proud to say, was quite professional and devoid of anything sophomoric.