The Park Record, moving forward to expand its coverage into Wasatch County, has recruited Brock Marchant.
Marchant moves to Heber City as the newspaper’s new Wasatch County reporter after a year-long run at the The Herald Journal in Logan.
“I started as their county reporter, and there was a time when I was the only full-time reporter,” he said. “We had a part-time reporter, a city editor and a managing editor. And while we all wrote copy, it got to the point where I was doing some editorial duties, while covering just about anything in Cache Valley.”
Marchant, who grew up in Smithfield, 15 minutes north of Logan, found himself covering everything from wildcat sightings to events and issues that emerged from Utah State University, his alma mater.
“I started working at The Herald while I was working on my bachelor’s degree in print journalism,” he said. “I was getting more into advanced journalism classes, and I had a professor tell me to get some experience and articles under my belt.”
Marchant’s interest in journalism grew out of his love for storytelling.
“I thought I would love to be that guy who could learn a lot about a ton of subjects and help communities learn about themselves,” he said.
Taking that love one step further, Marchant also has a passion for learning about issues that different communities face.
“When I was growing up, I saw there was a lot of information that we wouldn’t get if someone wasn’t looking for it,” he said. “There are amazing people and amazing events that surround us, and there are newsworthy, peculiar and sinister things that happen all around us. And if no one talks about them, no one will know about them. I want to make sure these stories don’t go untold.”
While Marchant enjoys writing stories, he relishes the opportunities to do interviews.
“One of the bigger aspects I appreciate is being able to sit down with someone and find out how to make them comfortable enough and vulnerable enough for them to open up to me,” he said. “It’s not like I need to hear everyone’s life story and have them bear their souls, but I love it when we can talk, be honest and get into who these people are and why they do things.”
One of the most meaningful stories of Marchant’s career was interviewing a woman in Logan who had lived in an on-and-off abusive relationship.
“She struggled to find resources and help, and ended up without a home for a few months,” he said. “This was a side of the community that goes unnoticed or looked down upon, and it was so interesting and important for me to hear about what got her there and what got her to where she is.”
While talking with the woman, Marchant reflected on the different issues he learned about while earning his minor in sociology.
“Obviously, I’m not a therapist, and I’m not a sociologist,” he said. “But it is nice to have the background to understand the politics or history of these types of issues, because that has allowed me to be more sensitive and comfortable when I talk with people who have experienced the experiences they have gone through.”
When Marchant isn’t reporting, he still enjoys writing.
“I haven’t written a novel, yet, but it’s something that I’d like to pursue,” he said.
Another hobby is playing guitar and listening to a wide range of music that include folk and indie artists as well as grunge and punk.
Marchant first picked up the guitar while he was in high school.
“I took a class, but really didn’t do anything with it,” he said.
One night when Marchant was walking his family’s dog, two good friends came up and said they wanted to start a band.
“I said, ‘You guys don’t know how to play anything, and I’ve taken one class, so this is an awful idea,'” Marchant said with a laugh. “But I went along with it and started connecting with the artistry of the guitar. I’m also working on singing, because I’m pretty horrific.”
Marchant also said he’s “pretty horrible” at fishing, even though he enjoys it.
“I guess you could say I like to pretend to fish, while sitting there with a rod,” he said.
When Marchant isn’t writing, playing guitar or fishing, he spends time with his wife, Jane Thornton, whom he married in December 2021, and their Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Huckleberry.
“Jane is a therapist,” he said. “She’s still in Logan fulfilling a contract, and then she’ll join me in Heber.”
In the meanwhile, Marchant looks forward to working for The Park Record.
“I’m excited to be here,” he said. “Wasatch County is beautiful, and it’s an amazing community.”