The Kentucky Lantern is a left-of-center news website with a focus on Kentucky state-level politics. The website is a part of States Newsroom, a network of left-of-center state-focused news outlets initially supported by the Hopewell Fund. ¹

The website has a far-left critical race theory-inspired “diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice” policy which guides its news coverage. ² In January 2024, the website’s editor in chief wrote a commentary that mocked Republican efforts to restrict  “diversity, equity, and inclusion” in Kentucky universities and implied DEI opponents were bigoted. ³

In February 2024, the website published a commentary comparing conservative culture war stances to fighting a zombie apocalypse. ⁴

Background

States Newsroom founded the Kentucky Lantern in November 2022. State Newsroom’s press release claimed the website is key to filling the void in state-level coverage left by staffing cuts at legacy media outlets. ⁵

The website is free for all its users and features no paywalls. The website allows others to republish the content for free in exchange for an attribution and a link to the website. ⁶

In addition to featuring news content, the website publishes left-of-center commentary. ⁷

DEIJ Policy

The Kentucky Lantern has a far-left critical race theory inspired “diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice” policy. The policy claimed that “bias and systemic racism” are widespread throughout journalism. ⁸

The policy sought to produce journalism that challenges the inequality and racism many readers experience. The policy claims that the values of diversity and equity dictate what stories to cover, which sources to use, and which language to use. ⁹

Selected Commentaries

Trump Ballot Disqualification

In December 2023, the Kentucky Lantern published an op-ed by University of Maryland law professor Mark Graber that claimed the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause barred former President Donald Trump from holding present and future office after the events of January 6, 2021. Graber claimed that the U.S. Constitution barred former President Trump from running again because he committed insurrection and that a Colorado judge’s finding that President Trump committed insurrection was enough to keep him off the ballot. ¹⁰  The Supreme Court later ruled unanimously that states did not have the power to disqualify federal candidates on these grounds. ¹¹

Defending DEI

In January 2024, the Kentucky Lantern published an op-ed by editor-in-chief Jamie Lucke which ridiculed opponents of the far-left critical race theory inspired “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” She claimed that DEI allowed students to learn about slavery and would have them question and change society. She also mocked the concept of meritocracy, claiming it kept power in the hands of white men. Finally, she closed by claiming bigotry motivated the opponents of DEI. ¹²

Criminal Justice

In January 2024, the Kentucky Lantern published an op-ed by criminal defense attorney Ernie Lewis which opposed legislation to combat crime in Kentucky. Lewis claimed the legislation would increase mass incarceration and the costs of the “prison industrial complex.” He criticized the penalties against fentanyl, the expansion of the use of the death penalty, and the restrictions on the use of bail funds. ¹³

Zombie Apocalypse

In February 2024, the Kentucky Lantern published an op-ed by University of Kentucky associate professor of political science D. Stephen Voss which compared conservative culture war stances to fighting the zombie apocalypse. ¹⁴

Leadership

The Kentucky Lantern’s editor-in-chief is Jamie Lucke. She has more than 40 years of journalism experience. ¹⁵

Finances

The Kentucky Lantern is a part of States Newsroom, which is a left-of-center nonprofit initially supported by the Hopewell Fund, part of the Arabella Advisors-managed network of liberal “dark money” groups. ^{16 17}

1. Deutch, Gabby. “A website wanted to restore trust in the media. It’s actually a political operation.” The Washington Post. February 6, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/06/is-it-local-journalism-or-just-local-propaganda/
2. “Deij Policy .” Kentucky Lantern. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://kentuckylantern.com/deij-policy/.
3. Lucke, Jamie. “OMG Not Dei .” Kentucky Lantern, January 10, 2024. https://kentuckylantern.com/2024/01/10/omg-not-dei/.
4. Voss, D. Stephen. “The Monsters We Create: Republicans and Their Battle against the Zombie Apocalypse .” Kentucky Lantern, February 16, 2024. https://kentuckylantern.com/2024/02/16/the-monsters-we-create-republicans-and-their-battle-against-the-zombie-apocalypse/.
5. “States Newsroom Launches Kentucky Lantern.” States Newsroom, November 30, 2022. https://statesnewsroom.com/press-releases/states-newsroom-launches-kentucky-lantern/.
6.  “About .” Kentucky Lantern. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://kentuckylantern.com/about/.
7. “About .” Kentucky Lantern. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://kentuckylantern.com/about/.
8. “Deij Policy .” Kentucky Lantern. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://kentuckylantern.com/deij-policy/.
9. “Deij Policy .” Kentucky Lantern. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://kentuckylantern.com/deij-policy/.
10. Graber, Mark A. “Why 14th Amendment Bars Trump from Office. A Constitutional Scholar Explains Colorado Ruling. .” Kentucky Lantern, December 21, 2023. https://kentuckylantern.com/2023/12/21/why-14th-amendment-bars-trump-from-office-a-constitutional-scholar-explains-colorado-ruling/.
11. “Trump v. Anderson.” SCOTUSblog. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/trump-v-anderson/.
12. [1] Lucke, Jamie. “OMG Not Dei .” Kentucky Lantern, January 10, 2024. https://kentuckylantern.com/2024/01/10/omg-not-dei/.
13.  Lewis, Ernie. “There Is No ‘Crime Epidemic.’ Lawmakers Should Not Saddle Kentucky with Even More Prisoners, Costs.” Kentucky Lantern, January 29, 2024. https://kentuckylantern.com/2024/01/29/there-is-no-crime-epidemic-lawmakers-should-not-burden-kentucky-with-even-more-prisoners/.
14. Voss, D. Stephen. “The Monsters We Create: Republicans and Their Battle against the Zombie Apocalypse .” Kentucky Lantern, February 16, 2024. https://kentuckylantern.com/2024/02/16/the-monsters-we-create-republicans-and-their-battle-against-the-zombie-apocalypse/.
15. “About .” Kentucky Lantern. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://kentuckylantern.com/about/.
16. Deutch, Gabby. “A website wanted to restore trust in the media. It’s actually a political operation.” The Washington Post. February 6, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/06/is-it-local-journalism-or-just-local-propaganda/
17. “About .” Kentucky Lantern. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://kentuckylantern.com/about/.