HAWAII'S NEW INDEPENDENT MEDIA SOURCE

"A free press is the unsleeping guardian of every other right that free men prize. It is the most dangerous foe of tyranny." Winston Churchill, 1940.

Hawaii Reporter Inc. was founded in July 2001 to fight for and protect First Amendment rights and the Freedom to Report the Real News in the state of Hawaii.

Journalists in Hawaii are too often stopped from researching and publishing controversial or investigative stories about corruption or incompetence in state and local government, public education, the business community and by local government and political leaders and candidates. They are prevented from writing the whole truth, and intimidated into avoiding tough questions and addressing important issues. That is because the one-party system in the state of Hawaii uses its far-reaching tentacles and absolute power and influence to target reporters and editors and to cripple media financially by leaning on advertisers to pull advertising dollars.

It is a vicious cycle and it has very obviously taken its toll on the quality of reporting locally and encouraged all journalists with any talent or insight to flee the state as quickly as they can to get a job overseas.

Thomas Jefferson knew: "Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press and that cannot be limited without being lost."

However in Hawaii, the government continually ignores this warning and regularly attempts to squash the First Amendment rights of its press and people.

The way it works: Government deposits taxpayer dollars in the big banks and big banks are major advertisers in local media, meaning if government officials in power don't like a story or a reporter, they can pull advertising dollars – this is done all the time. Government also controls permitting, regulations, taxes, allocation of government contracts and fines on business – another way to ensure the circle of money and power keeps everyone, even the media that relies on those advertising dollars generated in this very system, in line.

(To avoid any possible conflict between advertising and news, Hawaii Reporter will not accept advertising.)

This cycle of money and power in a small community inevitably breeds corruption: retaliation against those who refuse to play the game and a chance for favoritism for those who do. But few are willing to talk about it, much less document it in writing.

This cycle of money and power breeds a corrupt society because it prevents the public from learning the real news and making decisions about whom to elect, what state legislation or city ordinance to support or fight, and their options for a better economic/business climate and education system. It also stops journalists from investigating any one story of corruption or incompetence in government too deeply, thus there are only a couple of investigative reporters in the state and they are rarely supported in their efforts to dedicate time and resources to uncovering stories of value.

President John F. Kennedy realized in 1962 what Hawaii’s government officials still have yet to learn: "Even though we disapprove there isn’t any doubt we could not do the job without a very, very active press."

Hawaii Reporter’s founders were the victims of this very retaliation by government officials in absolute power in the late 1990s through 2001 (see www.smallbusinesshawaii.org cover stories, March 2000 and July 2000).

The people who want the corruption to remain won a battle against Hawaii Reporter’s founders, and more importantly, took Hawaii several steps closer to becoming much like a third world or communist country where people are severely punished, imprisoned or killed for their statements and beliefs.

But the war on the people who seek to stomp out liberty and the First Amendment rights in Hawaii – the rights established by America’s founding fathers in 1776 – was declared July 13, 2001, the day Hawaii Reporter was formed.

Hawaii Reporter founders agree with W.E.B. Du Bois who said: "The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression."

Every person at Hawaii Reporter is committed to fight for liberty over repression. We have a "no wimps, no wavering" policy for all journalists and editors.

Hawaii Reporter pledges to its readers and subscribers that its founders and journalists will never place money above the truth. We will write to educate the public about barriers to the free market and individual prosperity. We will map out the reasons Hawaii’s economy has continued to tank for more than a decade as other states prosper, why Hawaii’s businesses are out of business at a record rate, and why Hawaii’s public education system is rotten from the inside.

We may not agree 100 percent with Madonna who said in 1990: "Freedom of speech is better than sex."

But one thing is sure: Phillip Graham said in 1963: "Journalism is the first rough draft of history." It is our job as journalists to ensure the rough draft is accurate, fair and documented for everyone to read so they can in turn be educated and empowered. "Journalists endure hardship, danger … give their lives so that free people can know the truth," said Louis Boccardi in 1996.

We know this is true because of own personal experiences – whether tragedies and victories. As we publish our online news, host radio and television shows and speak to the public about the stories we uncover, we look forward to influencing and helping to create and educate a more thoughtful, engaged and empowered society in the state of Hawaii.

"No Wimps, No Wavering", you gotta love that. Having previously lived in the state for nearly 20 years, I can verify and confirm all Ms. Zimmerman states in her announcement editorial. I know firsthand of the intimidation and corruption in that State, and in particular how the local media is collared and controlled. Ms. Zimmerman is a brave, focused and ferocious advocate for the First Amendment, Freedom, and the islands she loves. She is first-rate, both professionally and personally.

She and her new venture deserve our full support (alongside FreeRepublic, of course), it accepts no advertising so donations would be very welcome and appreciated I'm sure. The site is free, but they have a research subscription service very useful for those in Hawaii or those intersted or doing business there. Check it out at hawaiireporter.com

Do you remember Radio Free Hawaii? Not the best music but at least they didn't take no guff-intil they were taken off the air that is.

EBUCK

Yes, I remember them... There are some great individuals fighting the one-party domination over there, God Bless 'em. I just couldn't take it anymore. So now I'm here in California, which is not much better and getting worse fast!!!

Yah, unfortunately, I was only there during my TOD. Never really got to be a local. Always a howlie (sp) never a local. Got my pigeon down pretty good tho.

EBUCK

The way it works: Government deposits taxpayer dollars in the big banks and big banks are major advertisers in local media, meaning if government officials in power don't like a story or a reporter, they can pull advertising dollars - this is done all the time. Government also controls permitting, regulations, taxes, allocation of government contracts and fines on business - another way to ensure the circle of money and power keeps everyone, even the media that relies on those advertising dollars generated in this very system, in line.

I've always thought that one of the reasons why talk radio is anti-gov is cuz govt doesn't advertise. here's a similar anecdote.

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