Access Humboldt will host a Sunshine Week event, featuring a panel discussion, an award presentation and reception, at the Eureka Theater from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on March 20.
The event — dubbed Illuminate 2025 — is free and open to the community. Organized by Access Humboldt and co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Humboldt County, the evening is designed to highlight how independent media supports good governance and citizen participation, according to a press release.
“We are delighted to once again participate in Sunshine Week,” said Access Humboldt Board President Molly Cate in the release. “Sunshine Week is a nonpartisan collaboration among groups in journalism, civics, education, government and private sectors that ‘shines a light’ on the importance of access to public information and open government.”
Access Humboldt Executive Director Christina Marie Jeffers noted in the release that unlike many small, rural communities that have become news deserts in recent years, “the North Coast has a robust information ecosystem of independent media outlets that contribute to keeping the community informed and involved in local government activities and civic life.”
The panel will feature local media representatives discussing how they impact residents’ ability to participate in their governments and ensure democratic institutions are preserved. After the discussion, “a local media representative will receive the ‘Ray of Sunshine’ award, recognizing their lasting contribution to our community,” the release states. A reception in the theater lobby will follow.
The League of Women Voters noted in the release that Access Humboldt, too, plays a vital role in the local media ecosystem, connecting the public to local government meetings through its cable channels and radio station, KZZH 96.7 FM.
Sponsorships are available for the event, with proceeds going toward the purchase of “media toolkits for youth and young adults to learn to create news and information stories ‘on location’ in their community,” the press release states. For more information on sponsorships, email info@accesshumboldt.net, call (707) 443-9352 or visit accesshumboldt.net/support/illuminate-2025.
This article appears in ‘Breathing Room’.
