City Cast Salt Lake logo

Utah Propaganda We Are (And Aren’t) Falling For

Posted on July 25, 2025   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
City Cast Salt Lake staff

City Cast Salt Lake staff

Cars drive on highway. Sign reads "Air quality alert tomorrow."

There is no joy to be found on I-15. (Ali Vallarta/City Cast Salt Lake)

The local propaganda trend is hitting on TikTok, so Hey Salt Lake editor Terina Ria, host Ali Vallarta, and executive producer Emily Means shared the Utah propaganda they are and aren’t buying into on an episode of the City Cast Salt Lake podcast.

City Cast

Utah Propaganda We’re Not (and Are) Falling For

00:00:00

❌🥛 Raw Milk

Terina says: "Propaganda I’m not falling for is raw milk. Because propaganda I do fall for is food safety. Pasteurization, people. It was introduced over a hundred years ago for a reason. We need it. It helps us. Anytime that I've gotten sick from food, it's always felt like the biggest betrayal. I am usually a sucker for a wellness trend, but raw milk is just something that I cannot get behind.”

✅🍞 Fry Bread

Terina says: ”I am a sucker for the Utah scone, otherwise known as fry bread. I do like a British cone, but the Utah scone is just superior. I mean, you know, it's fried and the British scone is dry. I feel like everybody has their favorite spot that they get their scones growing up in Utah. For me it's always been Chuck-a-Rama, which is very controversial.”

❌🚗 Interstate 15

Emily says: “ If I have to get on I-15 to go somewhere, it's the worst part of my day. I'm like white knuckling the steering wheel as everyone drives 90 plus miles an hour past me. And I'm like, it's 70 here, people. This highway should not exist in Salt Lake County.”

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is worth the fuss. (Ali Vallarta/City Cast Salt Lake)

✅⛰️ The Mighty 5 Campaign

Ali says: “'The Mighty 5.' You could argue it’s one of the most successful propaganda to come out of the state. The goal of this campaign was to prove to people around the country that you could see all five National Parks in one road trip. And the Mighty Five campaign, I pulled some numbers: It generated $1.9 billion in visitor spending directly attributable to the advertising at the time.”

❌🎿 Skiing

Ali says: “It seems like all anyone does is complain about it. I can't remember the last time that I had a friend who went skiing and when I was like, ‘How was it’ that they didn't just start complaining or ranting about the experience, the parking, the traffic, getting up at four o'clock in the morning to, you know, eat a frozen breakfast burrito and get your ass in line. The injuries, I just, I don't get it. How fun can it be?”

➕ Thoughts on Crown Burgers, fry sauce, and more!
see more:history,food

Share article

Hey Salt Lake

Stay connected to City Cast Salt Lake and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

Salt Lake, Explained

See All

The latest in Salt Lake

Salt Lake's BestNovember 9

5 Utah Hot Springs To Visit This Fall

Soak in one of five Utah hot springs, from easy day trips near Salt Lake City to remote desert pools.

 Steaming hot spring pool in a golden grassland with snow-capped mountains under a clear blue sky.
Keep It LocalNovember 5

Add to Cart: November Edition

Set a festive Thanksgiving table with Utah-made paper plates, a no-iron tablecloth, honeycomb turkey decor, and a hostess gift from Salt...

A collage graphic featuring a brown tablecloth, a set of floral paper plates, a gingham napkin, a honeycomb turkey decoration, and a green candelabra with small apples. A seagull sits on top of the text that says "Add to Cart: November."
Keep It LocalNovember 5

Outsource Your Thanksgiving

Skip the cooking this year. Gourmandise, June Pie, Rouser, Vessel Kitchen, and more Utah spots are taking Thanksgiving orders, but act fast.

Black and white 1940s-era photo of grandparents, parents, and children sitting at a fancy dining table for Thanksgiving, served by a maid.
Salt Lake's BestOctober 30

Your Guide to Salt Lake in November 2026

The holidays can be … a lot. Luckily, there are so many ways to bring light, joy, and coziness into the season. Here are some of the best...

 A yellow butter candle is the centerpiece of a tablescape, sitting on a red ceramic plate and surrounded by fall-themed cookies and an orange napkin that says, "thankful."
Keep It LocalOctober 29

BYU or Utah? Guess Where Utah’s Business Founders Went to College

Swig or Thirst? Take our quiz and guess which of Utah’s biggest business rivals were founded by BYU or University of Utah alumni.

Logos for U of U and BYU with the text “Holy War: Local Business Edition”
Keep It LocalOctober 29

Eat Your Way Through the Holy War

Hosting a Brigham Young University vs. University of Utah watch party on Nov. 7? Serve kolaches, J. Dawgs, Kodiak Cakes, and Cafe Rio fro...

Bear Bachmeier #47 of the Brigham Young Cougars is tackled by Elijah Davis #9 of the Utah Utes.
Keep It LocalOctober 22

Craft Classes in Salt Lake City to Make Holiday Gifts

Make a cutting board, a leather journal, or a set of handmade cards for someone special while picking up a new skill at these local works...

 A group of women working on a pottery project around a large table.
Salt Lake Life HacksOctober 22

Test Your Energy-Saving Knowledge

Think you know everything about saving energy in your own home?

A woman in a green sweater sits on a green couch with her fluffy white dog.