AMHERST — Amherst Media is celebrating its 50th anniversary of being a local community access media organization by presenting U.S. Rep. James McGovern with its annual award.
McGovern will receive the Jean Haggerty Award for Community Service at a gala to be held May 2 at 6 p.m. at the Campus Center Auditorium at the University of Massachusetts.
The emcee that evening will be Monte Belmonte of New England Public Media, with local performers also on hand to entertain.
McGovern was selected for the award, created in 2009, due to his advocacy for housing access and anti-hunger initiatives. He has also worked closely with local institutions, such as universities and labor organizations, and prioritized policies to uplift working families and underserved populations, according to Amherst Media.
Amherst Media Executive Director Rachel Figurasmith said knowing that McGovern values the work of the nonprofit is essential to the organization’s growth and progress, coming at a time when there are challenges for Amherst Media due to the continued cord-cutting phenomenon.
“Amherst Media is at a critical juncture point,” Figurasmith said. “We are launching incredible new programs, welcoming dynamic new staff, interns and board members, and looking ahead with a refreshed vision for the future of community media.”
Founded in 1976, Amherst Media has offered public, educational and government access media, and given residents, students and community groups an opportunity to tell their stories, access media tools and engage in civic life through television, radio and digital platforms. Its offices and studios moved to University Drive after the organization lost its longtime home on College Street. Plans for a new headquarters on Main Street are not moving forward.
The Jean Haggerty Award was created in 2009 to commemorate the legacy of an
Amherst Media producer and board member whose work embodied a commitment to equity, inclusion and community voice. Haggerty was known for her advocacy on behalf of those often unheard, using media as a tool for social change and civic connection.
Each year, Amherst Media’s Board of Directors presents the award to an individual or organization that reflects those same values.
Most recently, in December 2024, the award went to Jacqueline Wallace and the Amherst Area Gospel Choir.
