States Newsroom, a nationwide state-focused nonprofit news organization, has launched Utah News Dispatch to provide free, non-partisan coverage of state issues.
The launch of the Utah service means States Newsroom is now just two states away from reaching its goal of having a presence in every state in the nation. With 39 state outlets and nine content partners currently under its umbrella, States Newsroom was launched to fill the void left by the decline of local news outlets nationwide.
The Dispatch’s newsroom will be spearheaded by McKenzie Romero, who started her career in Utah journalism when she was 15 years old writing for the Ogden Standard-Examiner’s teen section. After studying journalism and Spanish at Southern Utah University, she went on to more than a decade as a reporter and editor at the Deseret News in Salt Lake City where she covered courts, crime and community. A longtime member of the Society of Professional Journalists, she is a board member for the Utah Headliners Chapter that represents journalists in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico.
Additional members of the newsroom include Katie McKellar as a senior reporter. Based in Salt Lake City. McKellar has worked in journalism for 10 years, specializing in government and policy reporting. She formerly led state and local political coverage for the Deseret News.
Kyle Dunphey will work for the Dispatch as a reporter covering politics, public safety, and the environment. A native of Vermont, he also worked for the Deseret News, where he won the Utah Society of Professional Journalists’ award for Best Newspaper Reporter in 2023. Another reporter, Alixel Cabrera, will cover the status of diverse Utah communities, growth, infrastructure and education. She was previously covered west-side communities for The Salt Lake Tribune.
“We are thrilled to keep the ball rolling in 2024 with the launch of the Dispatch,” said Chris Fitzsimon, director and publisher of States Newsroom. “Utahns deserve free and factual reporting on the decision-making within their state government. McKenzie and her team of skilled journalists are ready to provide reliable, daily coverage of the issues and policies shaping life in the Beehive State.”