CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — States Newsroom on Monday announced the hiring of veteran Kentucky reporter and editor Linda Blackford as editor in chief of the Kentucky Lantern, the state’s leading government-focused nonprofit news outlet.
Blackford fills the editor role as the Lantern’s founding editor, Jamie Lucke, retires after a distinguished career in journalism that has spanned more than 40 years and four states.
Blackford started at the Lantern Monday. Lucke’s last day is Friday, April 24.
“I’m proud of what the Lantern has built in three years and thrilled that Linda will be its second editor,” Lucke said. “I’m going to miss our Lantern community, the readers and the donors. I’m so grateful to them for all the appreciation they’ve shown. Kentucky will never be boring and never run short of stories that need a good reporter to do some digging. I’m more enthusiastic than ever about the possibilities — really, the necessity — of nonprofit journalism to find those stories that need to be told.”
Kentucky Lantern is a part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization, with reporters in all 50 capitals plus Washington, D.C. States Newsroom’s headquarters are in Chapel Hill, N.C., and Washington, D.C.
Blackford has spent most of her career at the Lexington Herald-Leader, where she has held reporting and editing positions since 1997. Most recently, Blackford was an opinion writer and columnist. Previously, she covered education extensively and was an investigative reporter. She has won four McClatchy Presidents’ Awards and numerous Kentucky Press Association awards.
“I’m incredibly excited to come to the Kentucky Lantern, both to continue the great work of Jamie and the staff, and to further the great cause of nonprofit journalism,” Blackford said.
Blackford has a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia. She lives in Lexington with her husband and three sons.
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