I’m approaching 30 years in this business. One of my early stories was about how political campaigns were starting to use the World Wide Web to reach voters. It seems quaint now but was a radical idea at the time.

In hindsight, we in the news business may have made a poor calculation: We gave away our work for free online, sending a signal to readers that our work didn’t have value.

A while back, The Salt Lake Tribune reversed course, recognizing that our time was worth something — the journalist at the city council meeting or my colleagues and me at the state Capitol or the reporter in rural Utah. All of us out there, on the ground, helping you understand what’s really happening.

It had value. Why were we giving it away when there was a significant cost to create it?

Enter the paywall.

It was necessary from a business standpoint. We could have lost The Tribune altogether, and Utah, without a doubt, would have been worse for it. Yes, it limited who we could reach and who could benefit from our reporting. But it helped keep the lights on.

In 2019, The Tribune became the first legacy publication to transition to a nonprofit. This move changed our calculus. We are now an independent news organization, not owned by any person or company.

Yes, balance sheets still matter. But our mission now is to provide essential reporting as a service to the community — which should include everyone, not just those who are willing or able to pay for it.

A transformation on this scale took time to turn into a reality, but I couldn’t be more excited about this next phase of The Tribune: removing the paywall.

In 2026, and every year into the future, our talented, dogged journalists will still be there, reporting the news with the same doggedness and determination. But starting Thursday that reporting will be available at sltrib.com to all Utahns — and anyone who wants to read it anywhere in the world — whether they subscribe or not. For free.

Read more: The Salt Lake Tribune just removed its paywall, making its journalism free to everyone

You might be thinking: Aren’t we falling into the same trap we did decades ago, signaling the journalism we provide doesn’t have value?

I would argue just the opposite.

We fully recognize the importance of the reporter in the courtroom or the video journalist on Capitol Hill. They are digging for truth and holding power accountable. We are sharing stories about people in our neighborhoods who are making a difference, and the trends shaping our lives.

Tribune journalism is an investment in Utah’s future at a time when trusted, reliable information is more essential than ever. Now and together, we can work to strengthen our community.

We’re able to do this because so many readers value it immensely — either through subscriptions or generous donations.

To them, to you and to so many more, providing vital journalism for free doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value. In fact, it’s priceless.

Your support has made it possible to expand our footprint in Logan, Moab and St. George. And now this reporting will be available to anyone who wants to know more.

Thanks to you, we are democratizing knowledge and empowering ALL Utahns.

In an age of social media when virality and dubious sizzle are everywhere, trusted information — gathered by professional, ethical journalists like my colleagues at The Tribune — is even more important. We’ve been here for 155 years, and we plan to be here for many, many more.

Making the news available to everyone is a massive, massive victory that wouldn’t have happened without the support of loyal subscribers and donors.

Our mission is no less valuable than before — if anything it means more.

If you were a subscriber or a donor, stay with us as we put reliable, trusted and vital information at the fingertips of every Utahn. Thank you.

Robert Gehrke is a longtime Tribune journalist covering Utah politics and policy.