Author: Eric Peterson (Eric Peterson)

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Learn how to follow the 2022 Legislative Session
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Learn how to follow the 2022 Legislative Session

The Utah legislative session is just around the corner and there will be a lot to keep track of. Thankfully we got you covered! The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Utah Headliners Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists are hosting a virtual crash course on the 2022 legislative session, Friday Jan....

UIJP Wins Gold in National Journalism Contest
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UIJP Wins Gold in National Journalism Contest

The Utah Investigative Journalism Project brought home the gold from the National Association of Real Estate Editors 71st annual journalism competition. UIJP won for the competitive “Best Investigative Report or Investigative Series” category for our reporting on evictions that happened in 2020 despite moratoriums in place meant to stop the practice. The judges’ comments noted...

Did these Utah Multi-Level Marketing companies really need giant PPP Loans?
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Did these Utah Multi-Level Marketing companies really need giant PPP Loans?

The following story was reported by Eric S. Peterson of The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah Stories. While many U.S. industries have gone under or struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, many multilevel marketing businesses appear to be bounding through it without a scratch. On May 26, 2021, the Direct Selling Association, representing...

For Utah renters, a 3-day eviction notice often shows up before federally mandated 30-day notice
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For Utah renters, a 3-day eviction notice often shows up before federally mandated 30-day notice

The following story was written by Eric S. Peterson and Jennifer Greenlee and was supported by funding from The Economic Hardship Reporting Project and was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune.   In January 2020 Albert Stringer’s landlord started posting eviction notices against him — not for...

Donate now for NewsMatch 2021!
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Donate now for NewsMatch 2021!

Hello friends I’m very excited to announce that we have been accepted into the NewsMatch Program! From November 1 until December 31, NewsMatch will match individual donations up to $1,000 for a total cap of $10,000. But it gets better! We’ve also got another $10,000 challenge grant from the incredibly generous Jean Welch-Hill! That means...

Three ways Utah could reinvent evictions
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Three ways Utah could reinvent evictions

The following story was supported by The Economic Hardship Reporting Project and reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune. Every state that received its share of the $46.5 billion in federal Emergency Rental Relief has also designated a certain portion of funds that could be used for special...

Is Utah misusing federal funding intended to help renters by paying landlord legal fees?
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Is Utah misusing federal funding intended to help renters by paying landlord legal fees?

The following story was supported by The Economic Hardship Reporting Project and reported by Eric S. Peterson of The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune. Ashley Beamer was walking her dog outside her Holladay apartment one night last April when the light from her phone reflected off something strange in...

A year after mass demonstrations sparked by George Floyd murder, protesters see double standard in prosecutions
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A year after mass demonstrations sparked by George Floyd murder, protesters see double standard in prosecutions

The following story was supported by a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism and was reported by Eric S. Peterson of The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune. Ty Bellamy is hoarse — not surprising given the amount of time she spends in Utah streets rallying for police reform....