Blue Grass Community Foundation, in partnership with the Herald-Leader, is proud to support reliable, accurate journalism. Access to trustworthy, local news and information we can trust is essential to the health and well-being of our communities. That aligns perfectly with our mission to promote healthy, engaged and equitable communities for all.
At a time when many local newsrooms have no choice but to downsize or close, partisan news sites and online disinformation have rushed in to fill the vacuum, contributing to distrust and polarization in our communities. Report for America (RFA), in partnership with newsrooms across the country, is counteracting the misinformation.
RFA, a national service program, places talented, emerging journalists in newsrooms to report on the most essential, under-covered topics. This year marks the third that the Community Foundation has co-funded a RFA journalist at the Herald-Leader.
Since 2019, RFA reporter Alex Acquisto has covered critical health issues facing Kentuckians. We’ve heard the statistics: we have the highest rate of cancer deaths in the nation, the second-highest rate of child abuse and neglect, and the fifth-highest rate of overdose deaths. Alex’s stories dive deep and give voice to Kentuckians struggling with these challenges. When COVID struck, Alex was uniquely positioned to bring readers sound, accurate information about the virus and its effect on our communities.
The Community Foundation also partners with the Knight Foundation and the Herald-Leader to support freelance arts coverage in Lexington. The Arts bring communities together and make an immeasurable contribution to our quality of life. New, robust coverage can help our local arts groups, which were especially hard-hit by the pandemic, to restart, rebuild and help us reconnect with each other again.
Blue Grass Community Foundation is especially proud to host the Fund for Civic Journalism. This partnership between the Herald-Leader and local nonprofit CivicLex not only informs our local communities, it helps residents take action on issues important to them. The first project of the collaboration has been the Our Voices Project that has been appearing since last fall, featuring original commentary by members of our community on the effects of racism in areas including housing, economic opportunity, health care, education and the justice system.
Good journalism is vital to ensuring an informed, engaged community. The Community Foundation is proud to be a supporter of journalism that not only informs, but also showcases voices not typically heard from while providing comprehensive, well-researched news stories on issues important to us all.
To join us in supporting local journalism and elevating local voices, you can make a contribution to the Bluegrass Civic Journalism Fund at bgcf.givingfuel.com/bluegrass-civic-journalism-fund.
Lisa Ashner Adkins is president/CEO, Blue Grass Community Foundation.