May 13, 2026
Extra! Extra! Paywall Panic!
Making the news available at no cost is a victory
Salt Lake Tribune drops the paywall, and the comments instantly turn into a funding cage match
TLDR: The Salt Lake Tribune is making its news free to read online, saying donor and subscriber support now lets it serve everyone, not just paying readers. Commenters instantly split over whether this is a public good or a funding trap, with debates over donors, ads, and whether “free” ever really means free.
The Salt Lake Tribune just announced that its stories will be free to read again, calling it a “massive, massive victory” for Utah readers. The paper says its nonprofit status, plus support from subscribers and donors, means it can finally open the gates and let everyone in. In plain English: no more paying just to read the local news. That’s the big feel-good headline. But in the comments? Oh, people had questions.
The loudest reaction was basically: “Great… but who pays the reporters?” One commenter wondered how a newsroom can stay fair and objective if readers won’t pay enough to cover salaries. Another fired back with a very 2026 flavor of realism: being supported by donors may be awkward, but it still beats being controlled by advertisers. And then came the international warning shot — a Canadian commenter dropped in to say “free news” can come with strings attached, claiming outlets may go soft on government criticism if funding is at risk. Suddenly this wholesome paywall-removal party turned into a full-on debate over who gets to influence the news.
There was also a delightfully nerdy side quest: one commenter basically said, “Hold on, is this actually free, or just free to read?” That sparked the classic internet distinction between free as in free beer and free as in freedom. Another person cut straight to the practical question haunting every website on Earth: “So… are there ads or not?” In other words, readers love the idea of accessible news — they just don’t trust that “free” ever comes without a catch.
Key Points
- •The Salt Lake Tribune says it will remove its paywall and make content on sltrib.com free to read starting Thursday.
- •The article says paywalls were adopted because reporting has significant costs and The Tribune needed financial sustainability.
- •The Tribune became a nonprofit in 2019, which the article describes as the first such transition by a legacy publication.
- •The article says the nonprofit model shifted the organization’s mission toward serving the whole community with accessible reporting.
- •Subscriber and donor support is credited with enabling both the paywall removal and coverage expansion in Logan, Moab and St. George.