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Outlet profile

The Salt Lake Tribune

U.S. center-left (editorial page); nonprofit local news

Owned byOwned by the Salt Lake Tribune Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Businessman Paul Huntsman bought the paper in 2016 and later donated it to the nonprofit. The IRS approved the nonprofit status in 2019.
FundingRoughly 60% reader revenue (subscriptions and membership), about 20% philanthropy (individual donors, foundations, and the Huntsman Foundation), and about 20% advertising. These shares are from reporting at the time of the conversion and may have shifted since.
On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

The Tribune was founded in 1871 in Salt Lake City, originally as an anti-Mormon-establishment paper. For much of the 20th century it competed with the Deseret News, which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and it has historically been the more independent voice on church and state matters. It was owned for decades by the Kearns family, then by hedge fund Alden Global Capital, and then by Digital First Media. Paul Huntsman, a local businessman, bought it in 2016 to restore local ownership and stem losses. In 2019 it became the first legacy U.S. daily to win IRS approval as a nonprofit, with Huntsman essentially donating it to the community. Since the conversion it has relied on a mix of reader revenue, philanthropy, and advertising, and has reported subscriber growth to about 40,000. Its reporting has been recognized with major journalism awards, including a Pulitzer Prize for earlier work on sexual assault in the Utah college system. Its editorial board is generally progressive-leaning on public lands, the environment, and elections. Critics in Utah's conservative political circles have sometimes described it as liberal, while the paper says its newsroom is independent of its donors and editorial page.

Sources

  1. The Salt Lake Tribune (Wikipedia)
  2. IRS approves The Salt Lake Tribune's nonprofit status (KUTV)
  3. How the Nonprofit Salt Lake Tribune Became a '150-Year-Old Startup' (TheWrap)
  4. Pioneering in Utah (Northwestern Local News Initiative)
  5. Tribune editorial: Two Utah Republicans work up the courage to challenge Trump
  6. Tribune editorial: Utah politicians should be defending our elections and public lands, not sucking up to Trump
  7. Tribune editorial: Congress needs to have a sharp look at Trump's firefighting policies

Profile compiled 2026-10-09; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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