Bryan Schott, the Tribune’s political reporter, appears to have been the only reporter at Gov. Spencer Cox’s Dec. 20 press conference to question the governor’s untrue and troublesome statements that public colleges and universities in Utah require potential employees to sign a “diversity statement” as a requirement of employment.
The untrue aspect of this statement seems to have been disproved quite readily by immediate responses from most of these institutions, when queried by The Tribune.
The troublesome aspect of this statement regards the fear-mongering statements that Cox made; i.e., that the practice was “bordering on evil.” He then doubled down: “It is happening here in the state of Utah. I can assure you after this legislative session it will not be happening here in the state of Utah.” (It should be a very easy fix, governor.)
Evidently, Gov. Cox is vulnerable to both the whisperings and the shouts of alt-stream media conspirators. Just dishing out a dose of shock and awe and hoping no one questions the veracity of the statement is becoming commonplace, and is, in my opinion, bordering on evil.
Even Gov. Cox’s communications handler and former Tribune executive editor, Jennifer Napier-Pearce — a demonstrably intelligent person — tried to change the subject. Her nonanswer to the question was, for me, a sadly low point in the article. Just stating (if true) that Gov. Cox regrettably relied on information that was inaccurate and regrets not thoroughly vetting it would have ended the controversy in a truthful manner. It would have been forgotten in a few days.
Instead, the question remains: Who or what was the source of the governor’s statement? I await the truth with bated breath, and I hope The Tribune will not be the only media source to bother with the answer.
Rebecca Thomas, Salt Lake City