By Stephanie Graves

Utah History Museum Opens and Astonishes

The Natural History Museum of Utah at the Rio Tinto Center officially opened to the public today after years of planning and construction.

Construction for the museum began in 2005 in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountain Range. The museum incorporates many green features including radiant heating and cooling systems, water efficient landscaping and plans for a solar-paneled roof. This roof will provide more than 25 percent of the energy needed to power the museum.

Todd Schliemann, the design architect for the building, said he wanted the museum to “symbolize the beauty and the magnitude of the state’s unique landscapes.”

Not only did he accomplish this through the museum’s location in the scenic foothills, but also through his efforts to construct a sustainable museum. With more than 25 percent of the structural and architectural materials made from recycled resources, and more than 75 percent of the museum’s construction waste being recycled, the museum expects to be awarded an LEED Gold Certification.

As well as being an eco-friendly building, the museum also boasts 10 new galleries detailing the different land features, history and people of Utah.

“The opportunities for kids to explore science here are endless,” said Becky Menlove, the exhibit director for the museum.  She described the children’s experience at the museum as one where they will be exploring more than just one aspect of science.

“ You are not just learning about rocks at a particular time, but also plants, about paleontology, about hydrology and all the forces that go together.”

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with extended hours on Wednesdays to 9p.m. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Adults: $9 (An increase of only $2 from the prior location)

Seniors, 65+: $7

Youth, 13-24: $7

Children, 3-12: $6

Children, 2 and under: Free

Museum Charter Members: Free

Large groups with 12 individuals or more will be admitted for $5 per person with advance notice.

Story by Lacy Jamison

Many analysts are stressing the importance of watching government as the current elections progress, and according to Matt Canham, Susan Tolchin and John Daley, journalists are its main watchdogs.
Canham, Tolchin and Daley spoke during a Hinckley Forum at the University of Utah on Friday, Oct. 28. Canham works as a print reporter, Tolchin is a professor and Daley is a journalist.
The speakers recognized that the state of political journalism is in transition of finding new roles. However, according to Tolchin, who teaches public policy at George Mason University, “Journalism is the best watchdog over the failings of government. Media is terrific-it reveals government flaws.”
Journalists who work in politics are expected to explain to voters who the politicians are, what they believe in and what their actions are. Often this relationship between the politicians and journalists is fraught with tension. According to Canham, who works as a Washington correspondent, “We are one of the only people that confront them [politicians].”
Tolchin said she worries about the demise of print media in cities because this form of media often keeps politicians more honest.
The speakers also had strong views on what material should be emphasized in watchdog reporting, heading into an election year. Recently, most of the coverage has been of the polls and not anything else.
“Horserace politics and horserace political coverage does a huge disservice,” said Daley, who covers stories in the Deseret News and KSL. He claimed the coverage should not be about the polls, but about the policies that will affect millions of people.
Canham said the issue of horserace politics is overblown. He argued that news is more diversified in today’s day and age, and reporters have to find creative ways to get what the audience wants and needs. Each story can only be written once, so the reporter must pick his or her focus and determine which stories create the highest voter interest.
Tolchin said she believes that horseraces must be covered. She brought up the strong correlation between the debates and the money candidates raise. It is important to expose these events because money raising has a strong connection to who wins and who loses.
In reaction to the recent explosion of audience involvement in the journalism field, the speakers agreed that this participation helps journalists become better watchdogs. Reader participation is very important in guiding how journalists give their readers news. Any type of involvement is very important because it could have direct effects on how government is chosen, said Daley.
Audience participation is not always reflected in the polls. Daley said he believes many people do not value their democracy anymore because there has been a significant decrease in voter turnout. Issues and decisions in politics are important, but the public is less involved than it used to be, he said.
Other issues of audience participation include the fact that most people do not research both candidates.
“I always read the other side. Most people don’t like to see the other side and I really hope they do,” said Tolchin. It is important that people participate according to their beliefs, but it is also important that people research the opposing side in order to better understand it, she said.
Audience members of this Hinckley Forum claimed to have very valuable insights from the speakers.
“I think it’s interesting to hear the perspective of current journalists. Journalism, media and politics are intertwining more than they ever did before,” said Laura Schmitz, a senior at the U. of U. who will graduate with a degree in journalism.
Sheena McFarland, a reporter at the Salt Lake Tribune, also gained insight.
“I think what was most interesting to me was to hear the audience questions. People care about the source and credibility of things right now and we need watchdogs,” she said. (640)

Story by Connor Wallace

Due to advances in technology the idea that there isn’t a need for newspapers has become a common perception.  On Monday, Oct. 24, a panel of experts at the Hinckley Institute of Politics discussed the changes in technology and how those changes will affect journalism.

The guests speaking were Nancy Conway, Mark Jurkowitz and Clark Gilbert.  Conway is the editor of the Salt Lake Tribune, Jurkowitz is part of the Pew Research Center and Clark Gilbert is a publisher for Gilbert of Deseret News Publishing.  Conway responded to a question regarding the importance of online newspapers by saying “more information is better. We’d be hypocrites if we didn’t think that.”

Clark Gilbert did say that it’s going to be harder for newspapers to do the same amount of work with fewer resources.  He explained that people are “a click away from the best.”
His meaning with this statement is that for the longest time newspapers tried to do many things well in reporting or covering stories in many areas; however now with the Internet people are one click away from finding a story that is more in depth and has more information and resources to cover a certain story. The reason being is there are sites that specialize in a specific topic.

According to Mark Jurkowitz, legacy media are producing the majority of the content because they have bigger newsrooms and more reporters.  The problem is that smaller websites and newspapers are providing the content and reporting the story.  This means that these smaller companies are doing all of the work and not getting paid for it.  This has spurred a debate for whether these smaller media companies should start charging people for the information that they provide.

It was also brought up that not only should the companies that retrieve the content charge their readership but also the legacy companies that are taking the story and putting it on their website.  On the other side these smaller companies also realize that the legacy companies are putting their stories on a larger stage.

Conway pointed out that “the newspaper itself is far from dead.”  She continued to say that the Salt Lake Tribune is gaining readership not only through the online medium but also in print as well.  Conway explained the increase in readership is because the Tribune does have a legacy and people trust the content that the paper puts out.  According to Conway, “The Salt Lake Tribune is serving more readers now than it ever has.”

While there has been a drop off in the number of people relying on print media, journalism is thriving and reaching new readership through online newspapers and by maintaining their older readership through print news.  According to Jurkowitz, “The media doesn’t have an audience problem, it has a revenue problem.”  He explains that the problem is how to “monetize” the online aspect of newspapers.  While the medium may change, people reading the news won’t.

Story by Laura Qualey

University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics hosted a panel discussion on political reporting and modern media, Friday, Oct. 28.

From the loss of factually driven data to the demise of print media, Susan Tolchin, John Daley and Matt Canham discussed issues regarding political reporting. Panelists discussed the changes in political reporting since technology has made it possible for immediate news updates, civilian reporting and private life exploitation.

John Daley, a KSL/ Deseret News reporter, mentioned that with the pressure of producing for today, journalism is becoming increasingly, “challenging,” adding that with the continually shrinking staff at many news source outlets, the amount of regulation and fact verification has decreased, leading to the releasing of inaccurate information.

Susan Tolchin, a professor in the School of Public Policy at George Mason University, addressed political reporting as the “watchdog over the failings of government,” mentioning that it is the duty of political journalists to confront politicians and be a voice for citizens.

Panelists discussed the growing conundrum of media watching government and who watches media. Political reporting has transitioned into a personal-professional hybrid. With the emergence of technology, politicians’ personal lives have become increasingly more public. With blogs, social media and sites such as YouTube, “a man’s character is his fate,” Tolchin added.

Matt Canham, a Salt Lake Tribune correspondent, discussed that “it is our responsibility as a consumer to point out media errors.” As more interaction between news outlets and consumers develops, the reader can now affect the reporting.

Millions of dollars are invested in political campaigns each year, leading to the unfortunate fact that “money wins,” said Canham.  However despite how much money is invested in a campaign, many politicians’ hopes are destroyed through investigative political journalism. This new-age way of investigating into the personal lives of politicians has led to countless scandal discoveries and numerous YouTube videos that have gone viral.” U. student Sarah Vaughn said she “had no idea there was so much money in politics,” which brought to light a new way of viewing politics.

As political journalism has become more interactive, similar to that of social media sites, many political journalists believe they are in a sense competing against social media. It seems as though it is now just as easy for a reader to receive news from a friend on Facebook, as it is to log onto a news source website to receive information.

“This discussion has made me question how I determine a news source is trustworthy,” Said U. student Shannon Hunter.

As we embark on this new age of political reporting, Susan Tolchin says she is “very excited.” However panelists noted that without regulation and boundary establishment modern political reporting could very well be “snowballing toward dysfunctionality.”

For more information on events held at the Hinckley Institute of Politics visit: www.Hinckley.utah.edu

Story by Elysia Yuen
The role of common people in finding and correcting errors in newspaper writing is essential to provide accurate information for the public.
This theme was discussed by Matt Canham, Salt Lake Tribune Washington correspondent; Susan Tolchin, professor at George Mason University; and John Daley, reporter for the Deseret News and KSL at an academic forum.
Meeting on Oct. 29, 2011, at the University of Utah, the event was open to students. The title of the panel was “Political Reporting and the Fourth Estate: Who Watches Government.”
A high point interest for the panelists was regarding the discernment of correct information and citizen involvement in media avenues. A plethora of resources are available where one can get information, like Facebook, blogs, friends and newspapers.
Canham said, “I would hope that when you read the news page you would know where the information is coming from.”
With so much information, it is sometimes hard to understand and know which sources are credible.
Canham explained that journalists are currently working in a fast-paced and demanding environment. They are liable to making mistakes. In newspapers there are sections that correct any mistakes that have been discovered from previous issues. How are these mistakes found?
“The audience is the biggest fact checker out there,” said Daley, a specialist in political and investigative news.
Often people will notice a mistake in the media and send corrections to the newspaper agency.
“[When a correction is sent in] we review what they tell us with what we wrote and judge based on the error (or lack thereof) whether to do a correction or not,” stated Brandon Beifuss, editor-in-chief of The Daily Utah Chronicle.
Because the corrections are so important for accurate news reporting, Canham said that every person should be engaged in citizen journalism.
“It is your responsibility as a media consumer to point that [corrections] out,” Canham said.
The panelists said that they felt a degree of pressure to get their facts straight. With the understanding that reporting has changed dramatically in the past several years, with the emergence of new media and ample information resources, journalists feel immense strain. Articles are needed to be written faster and better.
Daley reiterated the anxiety comes from the need of people wanting information at their fingertips.
He also said, “There are fewer people to cover everyday stories, fewer people to dig into stories that need investigating.”
Canham expressed that a positive attribute of the fast-paced environment is that it is relatively easy to fix a mistake. Especially with the age of digital, one can go online and change it instantly.
Nenad Cuk, a mass communication student who attended the forum realized, “I need to be more critical where I get my information from and analyze the information and the sources they use to get the information.”
Junran Jia thought the forum was valuable information.
“I think it is very good because each one gave their own opinion between mass communications,” Jia said.

Word Count: 507

Story by Lacy Jamison

A recent poll suggests that the majority of United States citizens do not trust the news they receive and believe that most of the stories news organizations report are often inaccurate.

The Pew Research Center published a poll on Sept. 22 that determined whether Americans trust their news and how much they believe politics can affect it. The poll claims that 66 percent of Independents say the stories they read are inaccurate, 64 percent of Democrats say the stories they read are inaccurate and 69 percent of Republicans say the stories they read are inaccurate.
In general, only about 25 percent of those who were surveyed believe that news organizations get the facts straight.
“I feel like people say what we want to hear. I also feel like it’s not 100 percent the truth. I always take it [news] with a grain of salt and pick apart what it’s saying,” said Junaid Sial, a sophomore at the University of Utah.
Only when the survey participants were asked whether the news they use personally seems to get the facts straight, did 62 percent of them respond with a positive confirmation.
“A lot of times I read things from my phone applications. I like to read CNN, BBC and MTV. I don’t think they are always accurate though,” said Nicole Procida, a sophomore at the University of Utah.
The poll also suggests that people tend to trust their local news organizations more than their national news organizations. About 69 percent of the survey participants trust their news a lot, versus the 59 percent who trust their national news organizations.
“I read the local newspapers because I feel they reflect the most truth in what is happening in my nearby community,” said Anna Chuprova, a freshman at the University of Utah.
This survey was conducted under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Most of the data in the report is from telephone interviews that were conducted from July 20-24, 2011. About 1,501 adults 18 years of age or older, who were living in the United States, were randomly selected. (347)

Story by Brenda Mandujano

In the current society blogging has become the thing of the future. Information and stories are passed through social media and blogs and distributed to thousands in just seconds. The issue is that no one needs a journalist license or be backed by a major media source. A panel of guests joined Doug a Host/Executive Producer of Radio West on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, to discuss ‘The Rise of the Audience”. This session concluded Future of Journalism Series at the Hinckley Institute of Politics.  The following information is main points in the future of the society with blogging and social media.

 
Holly Richardson, a member of the Utah House of Representatives from Pleasant Grove and active blogger, stated “Everyone is legitimate to the point where people see them legit.”

 
Those who write about what they know become legitimate and have followers who trust what they write.

 
People today want to read short and to-the-point stories. They use social media to get their information and to repost. As things are changing they need to adjust and “help people raise their media IQ in a way,” as Doug stated.

 
Journalists are responsible for filtering and gathering the information and putting it together in a way that it is easy to read. When the information is released, citizens take it and spread it over the world web through blogs, tweets or Facebook as the information is spread faster.

 
Matthew La Plante, a journalism instructor at Utah State University and a former national security reported for the Salt Lake Tribune, discussed that a reporter and columnist he felt disconnected and felt like he was shooting into the dark. They never see a reaction or comment unless it comes from their editor or they come across someone who read the article. Those who blog or tweets are able to receive immediate feedback from the audience. The responses may not always be positive but they are available.

 
For the future of journalism an education is not required. Blogging, tweeting and using Facebook is accessible by anyone who owns a computer or Smartphone. Taking information from a news story or other post and reposting, instantly make that person a writer.

 
If anyone can be a writer the next step is education citizen journalist. Citizen journalist can also be involved in lawsuits including libel and privacy issues. Which means everything that is written needs to be thought through before being posted. Journalism classes have discussions in the use of privacy, when to use the names in stories or when to stay anonymous.

 
Morgan Heath, a mass communication major, said, “Education is not needed for present journalism, but I feel more prepared by taking the time to learn.”

 
Being prepared in media is important and even if an education is not present one can take the time to learn by reading books or receiving help by others in the profession. In present journalism anyone who writes about something they know whether it is blogging or tweeting becomes trusted sources.

Story by Connor Wallace

Bank couriers Dennis Boushie and Willie Moore aided the police in capturing three bank robbers.

Two men helped police officers capture three bank robbers in Pevely, Mo.

Dennis Boushie and Willie Moore are bank couriers for Boatman’s Bank of Pevely, Mo.  Boushie and Moore were at the bank when the robbery transpired.  The two decided to chase after the robbers because of “just common sense,” according to Boushie.
According to captain of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department Ed Kemp, “This is beyond the call of duty.  They acted more like police officers than private citizens or bank couriers.”

The robbery began when according to Kemp a man entered the bank and screamed, “Give me the money or else.”  After the man took the money and ran, Boushie trailed the man on foot until he entered the getaway car.  Boushie then signaled to Moore to track the car via the bank van.  While Moore trailed the getaway car, Boushie went with the police to help track the car.

The police stopped the car on Interstate 55 and arrested two men and a woman.  The police found thousands of dollars in the car, and are pursuing federal warrants for bank robbery.

“Police have booked three people on suspicion of drug possession.  These three were found in the getaway care and being held in the jail at Pevely,” said Kemp.

Story by: L. Wylie Shepard

The University of Utah and the Hinckley Institute of Politics welcomed Floyd Norris as part of the fifteenth annual Siciliano Forum, which confronted American’s concerns in a series of events called “Considerations on the Status of the American Society.”

As the Chief Financial Correspondent of The New York Times for over 10 years, Norris caught the attention of many University of Utah students and faculty on Wednesday, Oct. 26, with his presentation, “What’s Wrong with the American Economy?”

Norris centralized his speech around the shortage of government support during the current economic crisis while utilizing humor to painlessly discuss a comprehensive range of ongoing economic uncertainties. Norris holds an esteemed and credible presence in the business journalism field, prompting a remarkably large turnout at the event.

During his presentation, Norris expressed his belief that there are actions the United States government can and should take to improve its economy. He said that many Americans have suffered and are continuing to suffer because the U.S. government did not know how to handle economic fallout correctly. He also placed blame on the central bankers, stating that they were unaware that their role is to provide the nation with financial security while promoting the consistent growth and functionality of the nations economy. Norris connected this suffering to the exponentially growing lack of trust that Americans have in their nations leaders.

In a New York Times poll released the morning of October 26, Americans were asked, “how much of the time [they] trust the U.S. government to do what is right.” The choice of “always or most of the time” had hit an all-time low of 10 percent, decreasing from the 2008 national low of 17 percent.

“I never would’ve expected Americans to have so little faith in their government,” said Tyson Phillips, a senior at the University of Utah. “I can’t imagine our economy will improve until that percentage improves as well.”

The use of markets to allocate capital, taxes and the “mess in Europe” were also discussed as key points to understanding the problems with the nations current economic state.

Norris provided ample time for questions from his audience, who were eager to apply his knowledge to their individual financial woes, before concluding his speech.

The event had an apparent impact on many of its viewers. “[Norris] emphasized the importance of receiving financial advice you can trust. I plan on reading his weekly New York Times financial column and continuing to learn from an expert in economics,” Spencer Peters, another Utah senior, said of Norris at the end of his speech.

The Siciliano Forum, held throughout the last week in October, featured presenters who focused on the American government, its economy and the important role of journalism. According to a brochure offered to attendees by the Hinckley Institute, the yearly event was designed to offer “an open, non-biased forum for students, faulty and the citizenry to focus their energies and attentions on the most important, current and long-range public issues facing America today.”

Story By Montana Peterson

Professor discusses journalism ethics in university class

Jim Fisher, a professor of communication, discussed the ethics of journalism with a newswriting class on Monday, September 26.

Fisher led into the lecture with the difference between morality and ethics. Fisher defined “ethics [as] a decision making process.”

“It’s not measured against any law book, it’s not measured against any moral code, it’s measured against ourselves,” said Fisher.

According to the Code of Ethics by the Society of Professional Journalists, on which Fisher is a board member, ethical journalists and ethical decisions are based on seeking truth and reporting it.

Reporting the truth may not always be the easiest thing to do when gathering information and reporting it, but it is essential to be a honest and fair journalist.

Reporting the truth can be hard because it is not the only concern of reporters.  According to the SPJ Code of Ethics, it is a reporter’s job to minimize the harm that could potentially come from publishing an article; however, sometimes the harm is unavoidable.

“Journalism ethics is almost always about to publish or not to publish,” said Fisher.

Many of the students found Fisher’s lecture very insightful and helpful.
“Reporting the truth is what you have to do,” said Brenda Mandujano, a student of the newswriting class.

“Fisher’s lecture was extremely useful,” said Scott Stuart, a student of the newswriting class.  “It helped me distinguish the difference between morals and laws and how to make an ethical decision.”

Story by Joape Pela

Ethics of Newswriting 101

SALT LAKE CITY- In a University of Utah newswriting class last Monday a guest speaker, Professor Jim Fisher, spoke about ethics in newswriting.

Fisher gave a few pointers to the class on how to be a better newswriter.

“He used and illustrated his examples of being a better newswriter clearly,” said Kent Ava.

A few of his examples were to be accountable, minimize harm ,act independently, seek the truth and report it.

In newswriting there are always two sides to a story right? Well not so fast, as Fisher stated to the class, “Every story has multiple sides.”

To some people they might think that every story has two sides. As Brenda mandudujano stated, “We tend to think that every story has a right and a wrong side.” A newswriter  has to get all sides of the story to be as accurate as possible.

As Fisher spoke to class it seems like the class got a good grasp of the ethics of newswriting. (168)

Story by Kent Ava

SALT LAKE CITY—Utah’s Natural History Museum (UNHM) opened its new Rio Tinto Center to the public on Friday after years of preparation and construction. UNHM, located at the University of Utah, is a leading research center that focuses on Utah’s natural and cultural history.

The museum’s new exhibit galleries were developed by some of the world’s leading scientists, educators and exhibit designers. The new center provides more room for newly dedicated exhibits that range from Utah’s ecosystem to pioneer contributions to genetics and biogeography.

Patti Carpenter, director of public relations for the museum, said about the new space, “I think we put together a great museum in a great location.”

Todd Schliemann, design architect for the center, spent several years studying the landscape and geography of Utah for inspiration.

Schliemann wanted it to “symbolize the beauty and magnitude of the state’s unique landscapes.”

Becky Menlove, who is the director for the exhibits, said that those who visit the exhibit “especially kids” would find that inspiration came from their curiosity.

“Kids who imagine themselves as archeologists or as scientists because this [museum] is a place where we can [help] inspire that curiosity,” said Menlove.

To celebrate opening day, admission is free. The Natural History Museum of Utah is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with hours extended to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays to offer special programming.

Story by: L. Wylie Shepard

After six years in the making, the Natural History Museum of Utah has opened the Rio Tinto Center, an entirely new building that features ten permanent galleries dedicated to Utah’s history. On opening day, Nov. 18, 2011, admission was free for all museum visitors, allowing anyone to experience the new exhibitions.

Becky Menlove, the exhibit director for the Natural History Museum of Utah, explained that their goal was to “create very interdisciplinary exhibits.”

The creators did not want each exhibit to focus solely on one part of nature, but instead to combine multiple “forces” of nature such as rocks, plants, paleontology and hydrology in order to promote multifaceted learning within each exhibit.

The three-story center is focused around its ten galleries: Utah Sky and View Terrace, Native Voices, Life, Land, First Peoples, Lake Past Worlds, Utah Futures, Minerals and Our Backyard, which focus on “Utah’s history, artifacts and objects from every county in the state,” according to a museum press release.

The Rio Tinto Center utilized recycled resources for more than 25 percent of its overall structure and included “green” features such as radiant heating and cooling.  The Museum was also designed with room to expand to over the next 50 years.

Todd Schliemann, the design architect for the building, said he hoped to “symbolize the beauty and magnitude of the state’s unique landscapes.”

Schliemann said he was excited about the space he has created, stating that the “space is beginning to lift you up and getting you ready to learn, to receive information.”

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and features four days in 2012 with free admission: Jan. 9, April 9, July 9 and Sept. 22.

Story by Joape Pela

Story by: Chris Springsteen

Local Downtown Salt Lake businesses and restaurants are struggling and it’s not just because of America’s economic problems.
The NBA will miss the first month and a half of the season because of the NBA lockout. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) has been settled but the question of the restaurants’ survival still remains. Downtown Salt Lake restaurants that usually flourish around this time of year are struggling to make ends meet. Because of this lockout some businesses have even had to reduce workloads because the lack of customers coming into their establishments.
As Susan Shrum, general manager at Thaifoon restaurant, puts it, “I employ 55 people. It impacts everybody from the prep crew to line cooks to waiters to bartenders.”
The NBA and the players association locked out the league on July 1, 2011. The league was locked out (much like the NFL) because the owners and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) couldn’t agree on a deal that both sides thought was fair.
The problem the two sides had agreeing on a deal was the BRI (Basketball Related Income). According to ESPN, the players had 57% of the share last year and the owners wanted them to take as low as 47% in the new deal.
Some of the small market owners (including the Jazz) claimed they were losing money every year and were operating in the red. The Salt Lake Tribune caught up with Greg Miller, current owner of the Jazz and son of first Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller, and he said, “(We) will lose quite a bit of money this season (when asked about it at the end of last year).”
The Utah Jazz is very important for downtown restaurants and bars to be successful in Salt Lake City. Most stores have substantial gains in customers and profit during winter compared to summer. This is directly related to Utah Jazz home games.
Jan Thompson, assistant general manager at Iggy’s Sports Grill, described what her restaurant will be losing from the month and a half long lockout, “We fill up every home game and that’s at all [five] of our locations. Downtown we get the pre- and postgame crowds and a few others who want to watch the games. All the other locations draw big crowds just to watch the Jazz.”
Brady Lambert, supervisor at Ben and Jerry’s, can’t emphasis enough how important the Jazz games are to them, “Our sales almost double on Jazz nights.”
Just recently though, the two sides reached an agreement that will put an end to the lockout on Dec. 9, 2011. This is a breaking development for Salt Lake businesses and will no doubt relieve some of the concerns they had going into a potentially dreary winter. But will this new agreement be able to save some of the failing Salt Lake businesses?
According to the Deseret News, probably but the lost time of November and most of December will no doubt take its toll on local businesses. Hopefully their won’t have to be any businesses or restaurants shut down because of this lost time. The good news is come that Christmas day in December the NBA schedule kicks off and businesses should see the crowds start piling up once again.