Stop the Press

""Every intelligent citizen knows that American journalism is sailing on a sea of troubles, but few great newspapers have been victims of an attempted murder at the hands of a state religion and several corporations and ruthless hedge fund pirates. James W. Ure tells the tale of the near death of the vital newspaper, the Salt Lake Tribune, which has been Utah's independent voice since 1871.”—Will Bagley, author of Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows“Newspapers have enough trouble staying in business these days, but add the Mormon Church and a century of grudges to the list of adversaries, and the Salt Lake Tribune seemed doomed. Ure chronicles the Tribune's fight for survival against the mighty Utah church, providing historical context reaching back to the Wild West. This book is a detailed contribution to the history of the Mormon Church's secretive domination.” —Lucinda Fleeson, journalist “This is a well-researched, thorough, and provocative examination of the long-standing turbulent and contentious relationship between the Mormon Church, the federal government, and the press. Ure shows how the ongoing hostile relationship of the Mormon Church with the Salt Lake Tribune has existed since the 1870s and continued into the twenty-first century, as the church took on its critics vigorously. He examines the contentious and hostile relationship between the Tribune and the Mormon-owned Deseret News and how the church believed that it was misunderstood by its critics on issues such as polygamy, the church's economic system, its stance on liquor, and other church traditions and practices. The book shows how church officials sought to erode the Tribune's power and advance the church's political agenda through the Deseret News. It is an excellent overview of the history of the media landscape in Utah and tensions of the Great Divide. This is a great book for those interested in history, politics, religion, and the media.”—Larry Atkins, author of Skewed: A Critical Thinker's Guide to Media Bias