What is Forward Kentucky?
Forward Kentucky is a progressive web site based in Kentucky and focused on Kentucky politics, politicians, and policies, with the goal of helping our state move forward and be all that it can be.
Who is behind this?
Forward Kentucky was founded by Bruce Maples, who has been active in Democratic politics in Louisville for over a decade, including being on the local Executive Committee, being heavily involved in the Metro Democratic Club, and running for Metro Council in 2014. (He lost; it wasn’t a good night for the Blue team. <g>)
Are you a non-profit?
No, we are a for-profit company (Maples Media LLC). We did this intentionally, in order to be able to endorse candidates if we choose to, like your local news outlets can do. We can put up Act Blue pages for candidates, which we have done in the past, but as a corporation, the one thing we cannot do is donate to candidates.
How are you supported financially?
We did a crowdfunding drive in 2016 to get started, but that was a one-time thing. For about five years, we received income through memberships and ads, and had a paywall to encourage readers to support the work. In 2021, we moved to this site (which uses Ghost technology) and made all our content available to anyone willing to sign up for at least the free membership. We then worked to rebuild the financial base of the work using newsletters and other perks for those willing to be paying members. At this point, we are fully supported by our paying members, and the number of paying members determines the amount of coverage and content we can provide.
Where can I find Forward Kentucky content? What are your media channels?
Our website is ForwardKY.com. This is the home base, and a place you should check regularly for new stories.
To see all of our content channels, go to the “Where to Follow Us” page. There you will find the current list of every place we publish. (It’s a lot!)
What if I have other questions?
Go to the "Shout Back" page, and use one of the feedback options there. We are glad to answer your questions, and will do so quickly. Thanks!
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