Lexington Herald-Leader announces Kentucky-born journalist as new top editor
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- Herald-Leader names Kentucky native Jeremy Chisenhall as executive editor.
- He starts Jan. 26 after serving as McClatchy Georgia editor overseeing two papers.
- He prioritizes local reporting, audience engagement and coverage readers care most about.
The Lexington Herald-Leader on Wednesday named Jeremy Chisenhall, a Kentucky native who previously worked as a reporter and editor at the paper, as its new executive editor.
Chisenhall is currently the Georgia editor for McClatchy Media, overseeing The Telegraph in Macon and The Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus.
He will start his new role Jan. 26.
“It’s corny to say that it’s a dream come true, but it couldn’t be more true,” Chisenhall said. “To get to lead a team that I developed such strong bonds with working here previously and to get the opportunity to help them excel to an even greater degree is something I’m really passionate about.
“I love this community. I’ve developed a deep appreciation for what the Herald-Leader means to Lexington and to Central Kentucky, and I want to make sure that I am positioning this team to provide the news that is super important to our local audience and our subscribers.”
The Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com are owned by McClatchy Media, which operates 30 local newsrooms nationwide, including The Kansas City Star, The Miami Herald and The Sacramento Bee.
Stephanie Pedersen, senior vice president of local news for McClatchy Media, said Chisenhall brings an extensive knowledge of Lexington and Kentucky to the role.
“He was born here and lived here for several years,” she said. “I know under his leadership, along with the talented journalists at the Herald-Leader, its subscribers will be served with high-interest stories that are important for this community.”
Chisenhall was born in the Bluegrass State and grew up in Erlanger, which is in Northern Kentucky near Cincinnati. As such, he self-describes as “a big Cincinnati Bengals and Reds fan.”
He graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, and was editor-in-chief of the school’s award-winning independent student newspaper, the College Heights Herald.
Chisenhall first joined the Herald-Leader staff in 2020 as a reporter covering breaking news and criminal justice. He was promoted to breaking news editor in 2022, before moving to Georgia in early 2024.
As a reporter, Chisenhall said he was deeply passionate about covering the criminal justice system, and as an editor, he was proud of the staff’s work covering the 2023 Old National Bank shooting and multiple severe weather events.
Readers can expect the Herald-Leader to maintain strong local connections during his tenure, Chisenhall said. He wants the newsroom to be in tune with the issues and topics the community cares about most.
“We’re going to listen to what our audience has to say and look to make sure that we are providing reporting and writing that is top-notch and leaves them more informed and better off as Kentuckians,” he said.
Chisenhall will be joined in Lexington by his dog, Sugar, “who, trust me, is really excited about moving to Kentucky.”
He can be reached at jchisenhall@herald-leader.com.
The Herald-Leader is the winner of three Pulitzer Prizes: the 2000 award for editorial cartooning, the 1992 winner in editorial writing, and the 1986 prize for investigative reporting. The newsroom was also recognized as Kentucky’s top large-market newspaper for the third consecutive year by the Kentucky Press Association awards in 2025.
Chisenhall succeeds Richard Green, who left the company in November.
