We’re adding journalists to bring you more in-depth reporting and help you navigate the news
More.
Back in December, we asked readers what changes they’d like to see in the Herald-Leader. It would be safe to say that the majority of responses fall under a heading of “More, please.”
Have more reporters out there covering events.... More local news ... More news on business openings and closings, new development and greenspace ... More local news and opinions ... More of it! ... More growth and development coverage ... More investigative journalism ... Have more in the paper ... More local gov’t coverage ...
We hear you. And I’m happy to say, more is on the way.
Let’s start with this: We are hiring more journalists, which will allow us to bring you additional in-depth local coverage of Lexington and Central Kentucky and help you navigate the tsunami of news that you see every day. We started adding journalists to the staff toward the end of 2021, and have plans to hire more as 2022 gets under way.
We announced last week the addition of Managing Editor Lauren Gorla, who will help in guiding this expanded coverage in the weeks and months to come.
We are building a new service journalism team under editor Jackie Starkey. This group of journalists will answer reader questions and help you navigate the news with useful, timely journalism on the big stories and topics that affect your everyday life. We’ll have more details to come as this team hits the ground running in the next few weeks.
Soon, we’ll be adding a new reporter to expand our coverage of Central Kentucky business and consumer news, another topic of interest that readers raised in our December survey.
And starting next week, Jan. 23, we’ll be bringing you more — and a new approach — in the Sunday newspaper. We call it Reimagine Print. You’ll find a renewed focus on in-depth, magazine-style journalism around the big topics in our neighborhoods and communities that shape our lives, with a bold and richly-presented cover story each week.
We know you want more investigative journalism and more watchdog journalism that holds our leaders and institutions accountable, as well as more insightful analysis. We plan to deliver on that, too.
You’ll find more pages in the Sunday paper starting next week. And you’ll also find added focus on news-you-can-use, including new features like “5 Questions” with prominent newsmakers, to help deepen your understanding of the news in our area and around the state.
And the Sunday paper will now feature QR codes that connect you to expanded coverage and features online, as well as the latest updates on our website and apps. You can use your phone to scan a QR code in print and instantly find additional content on Kentucky.com — a lot like using your phone to scan a QR code for a restaurant’s menu. Those QR codes will take you to more — more video, more interactive graphics, more depth and detail on the stories you care about.
Please check out next Sunday’s newspaper. Scan the QR codes to find more online. And let us know how we’re doing as we strive to bring you more.
Peter Baniak is the editor and general manager of the Herald-Leader.
