The Salt Lake Tribune will remove its paywall in the first quarter 2026, according to CEO Lauren Gustus. A year ago, she pledged to do so if the paper raised $1,000,000.
“The Tribune cannot afford to continue to limit who has access to independent and trusted news,” Gustus said. “Making the news is only the first step — we must also ensure people can find it.”
The paper has been working towards this goal since 2019, it writes in its annual report.
In 2025, we estimate we’ll make about $2.6 million in digital subscription revenue. In 2026, we’ll nearly zero that out, but we believe we’ll earn more than that amount from increased donations. How do we make that happen?
First of all, the support of large donors has made the transition possible. A $1 million pledge from Chris and Summer Gibson has been matched 1.5x by the community. Other donors have also stepped up in the recognition that we’re moving to a free-for-all setup, meaning we’re on pace to cover our 2026 bills.
We also believe that most of our current digital subscribers will join a voluntary and donation-based membership program. For one, a poll of our subscribers indicated the major reason they became subscribers in the first place was not to bypass the paywall, but to support independent news in Utah.
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We’re taking news deserts literally — by bringing news to the desert.
In October, we published the first issue of The Southern Utah Tribune, a new monthly newspaper for the Washington County community in southwestern Utah. It is mailed, for free, to 40,000 homes and businesses in the area. This isn’t a pamphlet, but a two-section newspaper; the first issue was 24 pages. An emailed newsletter and stories online are also free to read.
The Institute for Nonprofit News reports that in 2024, “nonprofit news organizations continued to strengthen financially.”
“The increase in median revenue, combined with a slowing in the pace of startups, indicates a field that is maturing,” said Karen Rundlet, executive director and CEO of the Institute for Nonprofit News.
In 2022, Pew Research show how nonprofit newsrooms were growing in covering state legislatures while traditional newspapers were disappearing.
Known for gnawing at complex questions like a terrier with a bone. Digital evangelist, writer, teacher. Transplanted Southerner; teach newbies to ride motorcycles. @kegill (Twitter and Mastodon.social); wiredpen.com