The University of North Carolina has released a study on journalism and philanthropy, examining the how states are doing in distributing news to their citizens and how wealthy donors are assisting in achieving those goals.

Suffice it to say, we aren’t doing very well here in the Bluegrass:

Here’s a map:

And here’s what those categories mean:

Why is it that Kentucky always scores lower in studies involving awareness, ranging from low education scores, higher incidents of illness, and deeper levels of poverty.

Answer: You maintain a dumb and sick population, and they will happily let the rich screw them over and blame their setbacks on “those people.”

Kentucky is in the Urgent Intervention category. According to UNC:

Finally, the Urgent Intervention quadrant highlights states facing the steepest challenges: low philanthropic resources and limited journalism infrastructure. These are the regions most likely to be left behind if market forces and local philanthropy alone determine journalism’s future. National collaboration, such as that seen with Press Forward, cross-sector partnerships, and policy action are already helping to address these gaps and will remain essential in sustaining progress.

For more information, you can find the study by clicking on this link.