Grist and The Salt Lake Tribune have teamed up to jointly fund a reporting position that will work with both newsrooms to report on climate and the environment in Utah.
The role will be part of Grist’s Local News Initiative, which embeds journalists at trusted, local media outlets across the country, bringing high-quality climate media to people who might not otherwise get it. It’s the first role in the network that will be jointly funded with the local partner. Grist currently has local reporters in Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, and Louisiana.
“When it comes to issues related to climate and the environment, Utah has it all — land use, water concerns, a recreation economy dependent on snowpack, not to mention extreme heat, wildfires, and many other issues we see elsewhere in the country,” said Nikhil Swaminathan, Grist’s CEO. “There are so many entry points into the story because of how many intersections exist in a place like Utah. The stories are there, and so is an outlet, like The Salt Lake Tribune, that we at Grist have a deep respect for.”
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with Grist, which is dedicated to elevating solutions to some of the most significant challenges that we have across the U.S. and here in Utah,” said Lauren Gustus, CEO and executive editor of the Tribune. “As nonprofits, we will point out the problems. But we’re also keenly aware that we’ve got to help illuminate potential paths forward.”
The new hire will cover climate, the environment, and energy in Utah. The local stories produced by this reporter will be available for syndication through a media network in the state. Many of these stories will also be nationalized for Grist, and made available to republish through its national syndication network.
Applications are now open for this new role. The reporter will be a Tribune employee, based in Salt Lake City, and will work extensively with the Grist newsroom. After the reporter is hired, Grist will also work with the Tribune to establish a Utah network to distribute the reporter’s environmental journalism, which will include the Utah News Collaborative, a statewide partnership of 19 news organizations from TV to radio to printed papers.
Interested candidates can apply for the role here. Newsrooms interested in joining the upcoming syndication network can email Rachel Glickhouse, Grist’s director of partnerships.
