In 2024, CivicLex launched a Civic Information Needs Assessment to help us understand Lexington’s current information landscape and how we could better serve residents. To gather residents’ perspectives for this assessment, we conducted dozens of in-person interviews, hosted multiple focused group, and surveyed more than 800 Lexington residents. We were particularly focused on how Lexingtonians access, experience, and trust local information about civic life.

What we learned was a small glimpse into the health of Lexington’s civic information ecosystem — where we saw both strengths and significant gaps.

We overwhelmingly found that Lexington residents value staying informed, but often struggle to find the local news and information they need to feel fully connected to civic life.

Here are a few takeaways from our public survey:

• Lexington residents want better access to local information. More than 60% of respondents reported feeling only “somewhat informed” or “uninformed” about local government and civic issues.

• Lexington’s media landscape is changing. While traditional news sources like the Lexington Herald-Leader and local TV stations are still used by residents, many younger audiences are increasingly turning to social media, community newsletters, and informal networks for updates on local affairs.

• Lexingtonians have limited trust in local media. Only about one-third of respondents expressed full trust in the local news they consume. Many expressed a desire for more transparent, explanatory reporting that ties civic decisions directly to their daily life.

• Lexington residents face some barriers to staying informed. Paywalls, lack of time, confusing or incomplete information, and limited coverage of topics relevant to residents' lives were commonly cited obstacles.

In the coming months, we plan to publish the fully anonymized data from our here on the CivicLex website.