A pioneer for women in Kentucky television and the state’s longest-serving news anchor, Barbara Bailey is also a prominent example of a trusted journalist. She worked for 41 years at WKYT-TV in Lexington, where she started as a newsroom assistant and worked her way up to anchoring at noon, 5, and 6 since 1996. A Harlan County native, during college she reported for the Harlan Daily Enterprise, and taught journalism at Asbury College. On and off camera, she has been a pillar of professionalism with a commitment to fairness, accuracy, truth, and accountability in the Kentucky TV news community. She strengthened her legacy in 2019 when she joined the Kentucky Broadcasters Association Mic Hall of Fame. A University of Kentucky graduate, she was named a distinguished alumna of UK’s School of Journalism and Media in 2018.