TheLine.Info Pays Tribute to Utah Journalist Paul Nelson

By Jacob Rueda

I had the brief but distinct pleasure and privilege of working with Paul Nelson at KSL NewsRadio. We connected immediately and, if left to our own devices, would talk endlessly about this and that. In some ways, Paul and I were kindred, perhaps solely because of how close we were in age and in our musical tastes. It certainly wasn't for our personalities or for our physical appearances, as he was quite tall and massive and I was quite medium and unimposing.

I remember my second day at work. Paul was in the studio (the ONLY time I saw him in the studio), and I had recorded a brief segment that was to air that afternoon. It was the first time my voice would be on the air and I was excited about it. I ended up calling my mother and telling her in Spanish to tune in and listen because I was going on the air in a few minutes. Paul laughed and said it was "adorable" that I was telling my mother, who could be hard of hearing sometimes, to listen to me on the radio.

I've read people pay their respects to Paul and write all sorts of nice things about him like "What a nice guy he was," or "He was a kind man," which are all things that are true. But if there is one thing I would say about him it is that Paul was secretly a force to be reckoned with. He was annoyed by ignorance, and if anyone was his own man in principle and action, it was Paul.

My experience of him was that he was clever, tactful, a bit off-the-cuff, and sharp-tongued at times. He didn't like being bossed around, and I found that some of these younger folks who rose through the ranks in management didn't realize the kind of person he was when they were dealing with him.

Paul was serious about his work and he never let anything stand in the way of it. Because he's had years of experience, being a reporter was an effortless task for him. He did everything on his phone: record, edit, and send it off. During his break, he would write his web article while eating a sandwich. Once that was done, he sent it off to be reviewed, and it was off to work on the next story. That was Paul Nelson at work.

When it came to being managed, he didn't like being treated like a common grunt worker. Paul and I had that in common. I remember seeing his annoyance whenever some younger editor or producer got on his case for something. He hated it, and he expressed his discontent to me. In the end, he knew how to do his job and didn't need anyone telling him how to do it.

Every day working with Paul was an adventure. It didn't matter if we were at the State Capitol covering the legislature or shooting the shit with Utah Highway Patrol. There was no one I that I have enjoyed working with more. Despite his influence, I could never in a million years emulate his skill and ability. He was the best. I've had the pleasure of working with some great people in local news, but there was no one like Paul Nelson, and there never will be.

And let's be honest, working in journalism can be quite awful, which is why I left working in local news. People are cruel and they suck, and they can be quite greedy and self-interested. My experience of Paul was that he NEVER gave in to that. He shunned all of that in favor of being bold but friendly. With Paul, you got what you saw: a towering mass of no bullshit. But underneath was the most understanding and caring individual you could ever hope to meet.

Watch a tribute to Paul Nelson below: