I asked about Peggy Fletcher Stack’s opinion. Central to Peggy’s thirty-plus-year career is her unwavering commitment to journalistic ethics and objectivity.

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She is asked daily about her personal faith but maintains it is “not for public disclosure,” stating she is a “person of faith” who respects others but keeps her own private. She firmly believes a credible journalist cannot be an opinion writer. She actively avoids expressing personal opinions on politics or religion in her reporting or on social media. While her choice of stories and sources reveals focus, she strives for neutrality in her own voice. This commitment means she receives criticism from all sides, even noting she gets “more hate mail than our sports reporters.” She highlights the challenge that some readers and even sources don’t grasp why journalists don’t simply adopt a specific viewpoint or give the LDS Church the “last word.” She explains her approach to sourcing often prioritizes current “stakeholders” within a faith community for present-day issues, while respecting former members’ perspectives on their personal journeys but finding them less ideal sources for current church affairs.

The conversation also underscores the dramatic transformation in journalism brought by the internet. Contrasting with her early freelance days in Kenya where in-person interviews and library research were essential, online resources now make research significantly easier. However, this ease has contributed to journalism becoming a 24/7 job, with constant demands and potentially less emphasis on crucial in-person reporting. Peggy cautions that younger reporters can sometimes mistake online “buzz” for broad public concern, stressing the importance of understanding what “average believers in the pew” are discussing.

Peggy also touched on the dramatic transformation in journalism due to the internet, contrasting her early freelance days in Kenya with the 24/7 nature of reporting today. While online resources make research easier, the constant demand and decreased emphasis on in-person reporting present new challenges.

Despite these challenges and the constant criticism, Peggy finds her job exciting, enjoying the process of analyzing and connecting the dots. She has no immediate plans to retire, suggesting the 2034 Olympics as a potential bookend for her career since her first story coincided with Salt Lake’s losing the 1998 Olympic bid to Japan.

Stepping back into the conversation with Peggy Fletcher Stack of the Salt Lake Tribune, the discussion moved beyond her career origins to highlight the core principle for Peggy is journalistic ethics and objectivity. She firmly believes a credible journalist cannot be an opinion writer. She gets asked daily about her own faith but maintains it’s not for public disclosure, as her role is to report fairly on all faiths. She consciously avoids expressing her personal opinions on politics or religion in her reporting or on social media. While her choice of stories and sources reveals focus, she strives for neutrality in her own voice. She illustrated the challenge of this by describing how people, including some within the LDS Churc don’t always understand why journalists don’t simply adopt a specific viewpoint or give one source the “last word.” This commitment to reporting on conflict, even when it’s sensitive, means she receives criticism from all sides, sometimes even more hate mail than sports reporters.

Do you agree with why Peggy Fletcher Stack’s opinion is not for public consumption. Do you think there is too much opinion by reporters? Do reporters and columnists confuse the line between journalism and opinion?

Don’t miss our other conversations with Peggy: https://gospeltangents.com/people/peggy-fletcher-stack/

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Gospel Tangents

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