2026 Amos Fortune Forum Heather McKernan

The Amos Fortune Forum 2026 summer speaker series will feature Heather McKernan, publisher of the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript on July 24^th at 7 pm. She will discuss why a free press is vital to our democracy and the health of our region. A strong community newspaper holds local officials accountable and gives residents a trusted place to engage in dialogue about the issues that shape where we live. It builds connection by highlighting stories that reflect our priorities, celebrate our neighbors, and encourages participation in the events and activities that bring us together. As technology reshapes how people consume news, and as revenue models and staffing continue to shift, local newspapers must evolve. McKernan will share how journalists report in the digital age, how they responsibly use tools like AI, how they engage with the community, and how philanthropic support can help sustain local news.

McKernan has been the publisher of the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript since 1995. Responsible for all departments, she works closely with the newsroom team and manages advertising and circulation operations. Her career at the parent company, Newspapers of New England, began in 1989 at the Concord Monitor, where she served as human resource manager, controller and later as publisher. She earned a degree in writing from St. Lawrence University, and an MBA and masters in journalism from Syracuse.

A recording of each event will be available on YouTube shortly after the presentation. More program information is available at www.amosfortune.org.

About the Amos Fortune Forum:

The Amos Fortune Forum was started in the summer of 1946 by several Jaffrey Center residents who recognized that there were many interesting, distinguished speakers in the Monadnock region and beyond who could speak on issues of public interest and importance. One of the residents had read in Jaffrey’s town history about Amos Fortune, a slave who had purchased his own freedom and that of his wife. The Fortunes moved to Jaffrey in 1781 where he established himself as a successful tanner. On his death, he made substantial bequests to Jaffrey’s First Church and Schoolhouse Number 8. In the spirit of the Forum’s mission of providing a platform for the free sharing of ideas and to honor the legacy of Amos Fortune as a free thinker, the founders proudly named the new summer speaker’s series the Amos Fortune Forum. Today the Forum has hosted well over 500 presentations in the Meetinghouse with topics that range from local to international interest. For over 80 years, the Forum has been providing a platform for speakers to educate, enlighten and inspire the intellectual lives of thousands of curious and engaged Monadnock area citizens. The lectures are free to the public and given without compensation by members of the community, their relatives and friends.