This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

There's always a buzz in a newsroom on election night. Before the polls closed Nov. 8, photographers readied their gear, editors fine-tuned their game plan, reporters charged their cellphones, and owner and Publisher Paul Huntsman and his father, Jon Huntsman Sr., made the rounds, dropping in to wish the team well for what would certainly be a long night.

What a difference local ownership makes.

Just before Paul Huntsman bought The Salt Lake Tribune in June, I left the newspaper to seek my fortune outside a newsroom, a rewarding if brief experience. When I unexpectedly returned in August, the atmosphere had fundamentally changed.

Sure, there were plenty of questions about the organization's future direction. Still are. Asking tough questions is what good journalists do.

But the heavy cloud of uncertainty that accompanied daily life under our previous hedge-fund owner had lifted. I sensed a clear and unmistakable relief among staffers that, for the first time in a long time, they could plan for the future.

Now that future is coming into focus. This week we restored the Utah news section to our Tuesday edition, a thank you to our loyal print subscribers. We're updating our policies, honing skills and re-examining our mission. We're adding staff, a far cry from the crippling layoffs in recent years. Next year, we'll unveil an improved website and apps. We'll provide more opportunities for our readers to engage in real time and real life. And we'll create even more content that's unrivaled in the local market. More investigative pieces. More business and outdoor coverage. New ways of telling stories.

In a digital world, change is constant and how we deliver the news will continue to evolve. But we'll never waver from our resolve to provide high-quality journalism and to serve this community.

Help for the holidays

With those values in mind, I'm pleased to announce The Tribune will continue its long-standing holiday tradition of supporting a local charity.

We've again selected Volunteers of America, a nonprofit which serves homeless youths and others in need. They are seeking donations of warm clothing, blankets and cash, and we're helping to spread the word.

Starting on Black Friday, Tribune staff will accept your donations from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Volunteers of America Youth Resource Center, 888 S. 400 West, Salt Lake City. Drop off your contributions on Fridays, Nov. 25, Dec. 2, Dec. 9 and Dec. 16.

For each donation worth $25, a donor will receive a raffle ticket to enter into a drawing for one of four prizes: A signed Pat Bagley print, a screening party with Tribune TV critic Scott Pierce watching a new television series of your choice, lunch with columnist Robert Kirby or a behind-the-scenes Utah Jazz experience, including a spot at the postgame news conference.

Thanks to our generous readers, we raised $10,000 last year as well as collected heaps of clothing, sleeping bags, socks and gloves for this organization, and we hope to top that over the next four weeks.

Jennifer Napier-Pearce is The Tribune's editor. She welcomes feedback at jnpearce@sltrib.com.