Tribune PR | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The Trib wouldn't run a press release from the governor. Instead, it would run a story reporting the press release, but putting it in context with contrasting views, facts and analysis. That's what we expect of good journalism.

When it comes to reporting on itself, though, The Trib runs its own public relations spin without critique or opposing viewpoints. Case in point: Managing Editor Terry Orme's "Some changes you will notice in The Tribune" (Tribune, June 30).

Orme puts the best spin on the changes, but the bottom line, which is buried, is that The Trib will have less content. The paper is shrinking, again.

Orme implies that the paper is doing more with less. Perhaps, but the total is still less than before: fewer stories, columnists, opinions, in reduced space. Any good editor would require that that fact be in the lead paragraph. A candid acknowledgement of that and the reasons (the paper is losing circulation, advertising and money) would be refreshing.

I want The Trib to succeed. I champion Orme's efforts to change with the times and do more with less, but a little more forthright honesty, a little more strong reporting on itself, would be refreshing.

David Harris

Salt Lake City