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Andy Larsen on doing things the hard way

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(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) In this July 1, 2020, photo, Salt Lake Tribune data columnist and Utah Jazz beat writer Andy Larsen poses for a photo. Larsen is a sports writer, but he also digs into data about COVID-19 and a host of other issues.

There’s an easy way and a hard way to do journalism.

One thing I’ve always been proud of in working at the Tribune is that we tend to do things the hard way. Personally, I think that leads to more valuable, more insightful articles. That’s mostly on display with our high-level, award-winning news reporting, of which I have very little to do with.

But I try to emulate that approach in my own work. In my weekly data columns, I’m going to go the extra mile in researching and analyzing issues that matter to Utahns. Whether it be on the vaccine’s efficacy, LDS Church membership data, or even just the SLC Airport’s (slow) moving walkways, my goal is to look at all of the information possible and make it digestible for our readers, through common-sense explanations and easy-to-read graphics.

In my Jazz coverage, I try to do the same. It’s easy enough to just parrot the words of the team’s players, coaches, and executives — but frankly, sometimes those words paint a different picture than reality. What did happen with Quin Snyder’s departure? Why did the team publicly say they were keeping Donovan Mitchell, only to trade him? What’s up with the team’s weird rebrand, anyway? A closer look and a critical eye can pay dividends, even if it goes against the party line.

It never, ever escapes me who my responsibility is to here: you, our readers. It’s your support that makes this work possible, even gratifying.

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