This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Businesses that cover the news in Utah have been making news themselves over the past few weeks. The changes at KSL Television, KSL NewsRadio and the Deseret News have spiked interest in the future of news coverage in our community.
What comes out of the convergence of the LDS Church-owned newspaper and radio and television stations remains to be seen. It certainly seems to make economic sense and all three organizations bring talent to the table. With the publicly stated purpose of providing news with "perspective" that embraces and promotes the values of its owner, the new organization has a unique franchise. As the voice of the church, it has the potential to reach Mormons all over the world.
The Salt Lake Tribune, on the other hand, will stay focused on covering our local communities and the state of Utah. We will build on our role as the independent watchdog of state and local government and cover news as timely, thoroughly and objectively as possible.
To help us do that, we are bringing on some professionals to expand our already talented newsroom.
From the Deseret News, we have hired veteran investigative and political reporter Lee Davidson. He brings skills honed over many years covering Utah issues in the News' Washington, D.C., bureau. Most recently here in Salt Lake City, he covered the politics of immigration. He has joined the Trib's government, immigration and politics team.
Also adding more muscle to our immigration and politics team is David Montero, who worked for the late, much-admired Rocky Mountain News in Denver. Montero covered the Democratic National Convention and other big political stories for the Rocky.
Another veteran joining us from the former Rocky Mountain News is Greg McElvain. He brings more than 25 years of journalism experience as a wordsmith. He rounds out our copy desk and headline-writing team.
Our growing breaking news team welcomes Aaron Falk, former crime reporter at the DNews, and Wendy Ogata, former DNews city and night editor, who is known among journalists throughout the state for her skill and commitment to journalism. These two will help us react more quickly to breaking news and increase our online offerings in this vital area. Wendy will also help us by directing news coverage on the weekends.
Former DNews TV Critic Scott Pierce will join our features staff and add his expertise to our arts and entertainment coverage. In a community that greatly values arts and family entertainment, we intend to offer a full array of coverage.
Finally, at least for now, Joel Campbell, defender of public access to government records, free-press advocate and loyal supporter of all things journalistic, will contribute a weekly column on press freedom and public-access issues. Joel was a contributor to the DNews and media columnist for the Mormon Times. He is an associate professor of communications at BYU and legislative monitor for the Utah Press Association.
These are extraordinary times for news organizations facing great economic challenges and historic market fragmentation. The ongoing technological revolution has dramatically changed the way we communicate.
We believe our community and our democracy need credible news organizations like ours to pull together useful information and present it to you, our readers, in a comprehensive, digestible and balanced manner.
We intend to live up to our responsibility to be a watchdog on your behalf and provide you a full, impartial, local news service. We will not only carry on but also expand what we see as our vital role.
Nancy Conway is the editor of The Salt Lake Tribune.
The "A View From Here" column has moved from Saturday to Sunday.