Amplify Utah was established in July 2020 to ensure the voices that most often go unheard in Utah’s local media have a place to be shared, or amplified, with the broader public. The organization’s pilot project is in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune, the nation’s first legacy newspaper to become a non-profit, and Salt Lake Community College, the state’s most diverse institute of higher education.
This inaugural program is focused on creating a pathway for future journalists at Salt Lake Community College and expanding stories of representation through broadly in local media through collaboration and a commitment to inform, engage, educate, inspire and unite our local community through the power of storytelling.
Reimagined curriculum in SLCC’s journalism classes focuses on critical issues facing Utah communities and delivers stories to a free repository, providing sources for growing media engagement. This project models how community college students and journalists can bring multi-dimensional points-of-views to local news organizations and provide a source of growing readership and revenue.
We are unique in our approach to our mission. First, we seek out diverse and voices often unheard in local media through connections with colleges, community organizations and non-profits. We then work with individuals and students to support the creation of their stories. Finally, we work with established media partners, including the state’s flagship newspaper the Salt Lake Tribune, to publish these stories.
Our website amplifyuttah.org, serves as a curator and access point or “wire service” and is accessible other media organizations wanting to increase representation in its coverage and content across all platforms. In this way, we truly help amplify an array of voices and experiences that might otherwise go unheard. We are bringing new voices to the table in our fast-changing state.
Stories in this first phase are reported, written and created primarily by journalism, digital media, photography and film students. Every story includes digital components using established and emerging digital and social media platforms. Story development and execution is supervised by the course instructor and vetted prior to publication.
Select stories are then published and promoted by The Salt Lake Tribune on its website, social platforms and weekly print edition sent to subscribers homes. All content posted online is in front of the paywall.