Interview Only w/ Lauren Gustus - How The Salt Lake Tribune Reinvented Itself & Local News

In this episode of The Chuck Toddcast, host Chuck Todd interviews Lauren Gustus, CEO and executive editor of the Salt Lake Tribune, about the publication's remarkable transformation from a legacy newspaper to a fully independent, nonprofit news organization. Gustus details how the Tribune, after years of being owned by a hedge fund and operating under a joint operating agreement with the Deseret News, restructured in 2019 to become the first major metro newspaper to receive 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. This shift allowed the Tribune to rebuild its operations, reduce print frequency, and pivot toward solutions-oriented, community-driven journalism—most notably through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative and the Utah News Collaborative. A central theme of the conversation is the Tribune’s upcoming decision to remove its paywall in May, making all content free to access, a move grounded in the belief that news should be a public good, not a luxury. Gustus emphasizes the importance of trust, accessibility, and community engagement, highlighting how local news can serve as a public service and economic catalyst, as seen in stories that directly boosted small businesses. The discussion also delves into revenue diversification, with the Tribune balancing advertising, memberships, and major donor support. Gustus reflects on the evolution of journalism, advocating for a shift from transactional reporting to relational, value-driven engagement. She shares insights from reader surveys showing that audiences value practical, actionable news. The episode concludes with a forward-looking vision: expanding statewide coverage, fostering collaboration among independent newsrooms, and building a cooperative network akin to UPI. Gustus presents the Tribune’s model as replicable and inspiring for other struggling local news organizations, especially in the face of ongoing consolidation in the media landscape.