This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Dear Sir:

On Monday, you yelled "Hey, press, F—- you!" at my colleagues and me as we tried to interview people outside the federal courthouse in Salt Lake City.

In fact, you went out of your way to do so. We were standing on the courthouse steps and plaza. You were in the parking lot of a restaurant across the street. You walked to the bushes on the other side of the sidewalk, and started yelling with no provocation.

You then entered a Range Rover and began driving out of the parking lot. I flagged you down and introduced myself. I wanted to hear your grievance in the hope of getting some insight into why you would do such a thing.

I asked your name. You said "F—- you" and drove away. On your way down Market Street, you flipped the bird to my colleagues.

I'm not as mad as much as I'm disappointed. I had hoped this mistreatment of journalists was limited to the other 49 states and those countries that value a free press less than…. Well, less than Americans used to.

Since I don't know your motivations, I'm just going to tell you about the people you insulted. For starters, they behave better than you.

Neither I nor my colleagues reciprocated your insults. In fact, we all have ethics policies that require respect for all.

Next, the people you insulted work hard. On this particular day, the reporters and photographers were standing in 94-degree heat trying to interview people about things that went on inside a public building. The photographers had it worst. Since the federal court won't allow cameras, the photographers were having to wait in their cars or in a shady spot near the courthouse door until the hearing finished.

If the journalists there Monday weren't filing another story — or two or three — that day, they worked on a longer project before or after the hearing. They could be making more money doing something else, but they think their work is important.

The hard work isn't just confined to tasks. The people you insulted are fighters. They're filing record requests to learn things the government doesn't want to tell us. They're banding together to hire lawyers to get us into places the government says we can't go and to let us see things the government says we can't see. They investigate government agencies, elected officials and the private sector to tell you when there's a problem.

Meanwhile, the people you insulted are on the lookout for good news, too, whether it's one of Utah's researchers making a breakthrough, the government fixing something to make your life better or your favorite team winning a contest.

While I don't know why you shouted profanities, it's possible you have some complaint about the news produced by people in New York, Washington, D.C., or some other place. Not that shouting at them is OK either, but they are not the ones you insulted Monday. You yelled at fellow Utahns.

That's the last thing you need to know about the people you insulted — we live among you. You will see us somewhere again. Next time, please, politely, walk over and introduce yourself. We'd like to get to know you.

Nate Carlisle covers polygamy for The Salt Lake Tribune and is on the board of the Utah Headliners Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Utah Association of Latino Journalists.