Shawn Ching Returns to TV News
After more than two years out of the public eye, Shawn Ching is returning to the news business. Hawaii News Now announced that he will join Stephanie Lum at the anchor desk for its...
Category: Media
ONA Parachute Training
The Online News Association was founded in 1999, and I signed up pretty early in its history, full of ideas for Islenews.com (which became HawaiiNews.com which is now HawaiiStar.com). My dream of building a...
Candidate Cries Foul Over Twitter Posts
The race for Hawaii governor between Democrat and former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie and Republican Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona has been a contentious one. A stream of dueling press releases has dominated the headlines,...
Abercrombie & Schatz and Fast Fashion
To island democratic voters, “Abercrombie & Schatz” sounds like the ticket to a brighter future for Hawaii. But for many people, “Abercrombie & Schatz” also sounds like a clothing line. On Saturday night, as...
Data Request Denied, Now Plan B
I had a nice conversation this afternoon with Marie Laderta, director of the state Department of Human Resources Development, in response to my request to secure the same data her office prepared for Civil...
Sorting Out the “LOST” DVDs
Today brings the much-anticipated release of “LOST: Season Six” on DVD (or Blu-Ray), and “LOST: The Complete Collection” on DVD (or Blu-Ray). Meanwhile, as in years past, retailer Best Buy is also touting “Exclusive...
Nonstop Honolulu Coming Monday
“If there’s buzz, we’re on it.” So says Diane Seo today, in announcing NonstopHonolulu.com, which she hopes will be the city’s “main online source for eating, nightlife and events.” The site is rising from...
Civil Beat Puts Public Data Behind the Paywall
The headline proclaims, “Civil Beat Shares Hawaii State Employee Salaries“ — but there’s a catch: you have to pay to get full access to the information. To be sure, there’s a reasonable and deep debate...
“Hawaiian Ghost Story” Makes Top Six
The short independent film “Hawaiian Ghost Story” is one big step closer to becoming a reality. As I blogged last week, the project was in the running for $50,000 cash and a $200,000 finishing...
“Hawaiian Ghost Story” Needs Votes
“Hawaiian Ghost Story” is a feature film that doesn’t yet exist. But there is a story to be told, and people willing to tell it. As with most creative projects, all they need is...
AsiaPacificFilms.com Offers Free Trial
With a collection of over 250  films by Asian and Pacific Islanders, AsiaPacificFilms.com is the idealized, online equivalent of a independent film festival. No cramped schedules, no limited runs, every title available 24-7. TechCrunch described...
David Buys Goliath
“Staff-wide meeting at The Honolulu Advertiser. Similar meeting called at The Star-Bulletin. This can’t be good for anyone. Honolulu Advertiser education writer Loren Moreno tweeted that this afternoon, moments before the news once again...
Peer News Outlines Local Focus
This morning, Pierre Omidyar‘s local news startup Peer News hosted a conference call with journalists to provide an update on their venture, which was first announced in November. Among the key announcements made was...
Hawaii Newspaper Archives Go Online
The archives of three newspapers documenting Hawaii’s 19th century history have been posted online by the Library of Congress, digitized and converted into searchable text via OCR through the participation of the UH MÄnoa...
The Hawaii Independent Steps Up
While the mainstream, corporate media is still struggling to find its footing in the digital age, grassroots online news initiatives everywhere are putting down roots. Citizen journalism and independent media are near and dear...
Editor Sought for New News Venture
A new Internet startup poised to transform local news, in Hawaii and beyond, is now on the hunt for an editor to lead the team. Renowned entrepreneur Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay and philanthropist,...
“LOST” at HIFF
Updated Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m.: As reported late last month, the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) is collaborating with the producers and creators of the hit television show “LOST” for a series of special...
Media Council Opposes TV Merger
When the people who cover the news become the news, it’s often difficult to separate the story from the storytellers. On Tuesday, Alabama-based Raycom Media announced that television news operations at KGMB, KHNL and...
Honolulu Advertiser Harps on HotU
“A Web site for college students subsidized with millions of dollars in state income tax credits is now an adult-oriented Internet portal.” So begins Sean Hao’s article in the Honolulu Advertiser, documenting the “rise...
TV News Goes Interactive at KGMB9
KGMB9, the local CBS affiliate, launched a bold (and technologically tricky) initiative tonight during its 5 p.m. newscast. Called ‘i9News,’ it carved out a significant portion of the half-hour broadcast to share feedback from...
