Today The Salt Lake Tribune announced staff cuts, forced by the financial realities facing newspapers across the country as print circulation and ad revenue decline at the same time audiences move to digital platforms.
These staff cuts, and some reductions in print, will help put us on a more stable path. The vast majority of our readers have moved to our website and apps. An upgraded sltrib.com, gains on social media platforms, new ways of digital storytelling and a growing digital subscriber base point to a bright future for The Tribune online.
Still, we’re not there yet.
Laying off talented and dedicated colleagues has been flat-out excruciating and represents a tremendous loss not only for this newsroom, but also for our entire community. Some just started at The Trib while others have been in the newsroom for decades. Each contributed significantly to our newsgathering firepower. Each departure represents another cause to mourn.
In the face of such challenges, it would be all too easy and justifiable to give up. With fewer numbers, we simply can’t be all things to all people or do things the way we used to. But losing a trusted news source, a Pulitzer Prize-winning independent voice in Utah, is absolutely not an option. Those of us who remain will continue to provide the high-quality journalism you’ve come to expect from The Tribune. We’ll maintain our commitment to watchdog reporting and hold those in power accountable. We’ll bring you thoughtful analysis and commentary to help you make sense of an increasingly confusing world. And we’ll offer compelling features — from sports to religion to Bagley and beyond — that illuminate our uniquely Utah experience. The Tribune team of reporters, photographers, editors and columnists is second to none and will bring its best every day.
Our efforts to economize also include changes to our print edition. Starting this week, we’re trimming back the Utah section to Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Local coverage will still be available every day of the week, but on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, you’ll find it in the A section.
I sincerely thank Tribune owner and Publisher Paul Huntsman for his ongoing financial commitment to our newsroom in an increasingly turbulent industry.
And I thank our loyal readers and subscribers — both print and digital — for standing by us through these difficult times. We feel the love and hope you’ll continue to value our coverage. Send us news tips. Share our stories on social media. Sign up for our newsletters. Listen to our podcasts. Attend our live public events. Encourage local businesses to advertise in the paper and online. And, of course, subscribe.
Knowing you rely on The Tribune gives us courage to move beyond this terrible day.
Follow @jnpearce