ABOUT US
The Kentucky Lantern is an independent, nonpartisan, free news service.
We’re based in Frankfort a short walk from the Capitol, but all of Kentucky is our beat.
We focus on how decisions made in the marble halls of power ripple through the lives of Kentuckians. We bring attention to injustices and hold institutions and officials accountable. We tell the stories of Kentuckians who are making a difference and shine a light on what’s working. Our journalism is aimed at building a fairer, healthier Kentucky for all.?
The Lantern is an affiliate of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization, supported by grants and donations. The Lantern retains full editorial independence.
The Lantern is free to read without paywalls or subscription fees. Our content is free to others to publish; we ask only for attribution and a link to our site.
The Lantern provides a platform for progressive commentary and thoughtful opinions about policy.?Learn about our commentary submission guidelines here.
Jamie Lucke
Editor in chief
Jamie Lucke has more than 40 years of experience as a journalist in four states, most of that time spent learning and writing about her birthplace, Kentucky. Her editorials for the Lexington Herald-Leader were recognized with the Walker Stone, Sigma Delta Chi and Green Eyeshade awards. Her work also has been honored by the East Kentucky Leadership Foundation, the National Mental Health Association, the Alabama Education Association and the Muscoda (Ala.) Improvement Association. She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and mother to an adult daughter. She’s happiest writing pithy headlines and rambling Kentucky woods.
Sarah Ladd
Reporter
Sarah Ladd is a Louisville-based journalist and Kentuckian. She was on a 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist team for coverage of the protests over Breonna Taylor's death by police. She has won many other state and national awards. Ladd has covered everything from crime to higher education. In 2020, she started reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic and has covered health ever since. In her free time she loves hiking with her rescue dog, Ronon.
Liam Niemeyer
Reporter
Liam Niemeyer is a journalist whose four years of work in western Kentucky has won several regional and statewide awards covering agriculture, infrastructure, diversity and culture in rural communities. He was most recently the assistant news director at WKMS Public Radio in Murray and has also worked at radio stations in Alaska, Wyoming and his home state of Ohio.
McKenna Horsley
Reporter
McKenna Horsley’s first byline appeared in a local newspaper in Greenup County when she was in high school. Now, she covers state politics for the Kentucky Lantern. Her focus is the 2023 governor’s race. She graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2019 and is pursuing a master of fine arts degree from Spalding University. Before joining the Kentucky Lantern, she covered local government for The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington, West Virginia. She previously covered education and local government in Frankfort, Kentucky, for The State Journal. McKenna is Appalachian and hails from northeastern Kentucky.