SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah attorney general’s office says its investigation into changes to the joint operating agreement between The Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News doesn’t mean any wrongdoing has occurred.

The office said in a statement Saturday that the inquiry can shed light on improprieties or validate proper conduct. It says the state has an “independent interest” in investigating and enforcing antitrust laws outside a review by the U.S. Justice Department.

Changes made in October to the six-decade-old agreement between Salt Lake City’s two newspapers slashed in half the Tribune’s revenue from the partnership, among other things.

Deseret News editor Paul Edwards says the deal preserves its commitment to multiple editorial voices and he’s confident the investigation will show all parties entered into it in good faith.

A group of former Tribune employees has sued to repeal the agreement.

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