Maggie McGuire serves as the editor of the Moab Sun News, according to a May 2, 2025, post by the Listening Post Collective. In that 2025 document, McGuire stated that the newsroom was being framed not just as a content producer, but as a civic information resource. This shift in focus was intended to move beyond producing and responding to ephemeral events to creating important evergreen resources to impact the community long-term, according to the May 2, 2025, Listening Post Collective publication.
In 2025, the Moab Sun News used the Playbook to conduct an information needs assessment to better understand how residents of Grand County receive and perceive local information, according to the Listening Post Collective. The findings from that assessment, which involved around 80 community members, revealed significant divides in media usage, access, and satisfaction across various demographics, including age, income, and residency duration. The survey surfaced that housing, planning and zoning, and medical care are important topics across different demographics, according to the May 2, 2025, report. The results also indicated a strong appetite for newsletters, follow-up reporting, information guides, and workshops.
As part of the efforts to address these community needs, the Moab Sun News established partnerships during the Listen phase with groups including the Moab Valley Multicultural Center and the Moab Free Health Clinic, according to the May 2, 2025, document. These partnerships and the findings from the information needs assessment are directly informing the editorial priorities and community engagement strategies for the publication.
Residents encounter McGuire's work through local media broadcasts and news coverage. For example, on a July 31, 2026, edition of the KZMU Newsreel, Station Manager Jenna Whetzel spoke with McGuire regarding several local issues. These topics included the Grand County Commission’s discussion concerning Arches Shuttle funding and the Moab City Council’s discussion regarding a contract change order for changes at the Moab Recreation and Aquatic Center (MRAC), according to the July 31, 2026, KZMU news broadcast. Additionally, McGuire has been featured in other news segments, such as the July 3, 2026, edition of the KZMU Weekly Newsreel, according to the July 3, 2026, KZMU broadcast.
McGuire's role as editor involves managing the newsroom's approach to building long-term trust in its readership. This goal of being a thoughtful presence in the community was part of the strategic direction outlined by McGuire in the May 2, 2025, Listening Post Collective document. By focusing on evergreen resources and community-driven topics like zoning and medical care, the newsroom aims to serve as a reliable source of information for the people of Grand County.
What this means for Moab
For the residents of Moab, McGuire's leadership at the Moab Sun News means the local news is prioritizing long-term community needs. By focusing on topics like housing and zoning, and by building partnerships with local clinics and multicultural centers, the newsroom aims to serve as a lasting civic information resource for Grand County.
