A Way Ahead

After studying what it means to own a daily in the 21st century, Mr. Huntsman reimagined what The Tribune would look like as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, divorced from the harsh business realities that have weakened or killed off papers all across the country. He recently started applying for Internal Revenue Service approval, which could take more than a year.

Under the plan, the paper would take in revenue from ads, subscriptions and philanthropic donations. To achieve his aim, Mr. Huntsman hired Fraser Nelson, a veteran nonprofit executive. A. Scott Anderson, a potential donor who is the head of Zions Bank, which has its headquarters in Salt Lake City, said he was “very supportive of what Paul is doing.”

If the plan is approved, The Tribune will have to relinquish something held dear by most papers: political endorsements. Federal law prohibits 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations from taking part in partisan activity.

“I’m looking forward to getting out of the endorsement business,” Mr. Huntsman said.

If The Tribune is a nonprofit, its contents will have to be deemed beneficial to the community. So where would that leave things like lifestyle coverage and sports? The paper has addressed those issues in its application, Ms. Nelson said.

However it comes out, Mr. Huntsman said, he had to do something drastic to keep the paper going.

“My father used to say, ‘When you are the one responsible for the payroll, it is going to keep you up at night,’” he said. “I didn’t really appreciate that until I acquired The Salt Lake Tribune. I took the losses and subsidized the paper as long as I could. The losses were devastating to me personally. I said, ‘I have to make a change.’”