Introduction to Hawaii News Media
Hawaii is the lone island state of the United States in the Pacific Ocean with an estimated population of 1.4 million. Honolulu is the state’s capital and home to two-thirds of the population in Hawaii.
History of Hawaii Newspapers
Ka Lama Hawaii was the first newspaper in Hawaii. It was started by the students of Lorrin Andrews in 1834.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser is a prominent newspaper in Honolulu. The Black Press of British Columbia in Canada owns the newspaper and it first hit the newsstands on June 7, 2010. To capture the lion share of the state readers, the Black Press established The Honolulu Star-Advertiser by merging two of Honolulu’s well established daily newspapers – The Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
Prominent Regional Newspapers in Hawaii
Maui, the second-largest island of Hawaii, has The Maui News as its primary source of information. The Ogden Newspapers Inc. owns The Maui News. Independent weekly newspaper Maui Time Weekly is also popular in the region.
For the census-designated Hawaiian town Hilo, Hawaii Tribune-Herald is the primary source of news. West Hawaii Today is popular among the readers from Kailua-Kona and The Big Island. Lihue-based The Garden Island serves the readers from the Kauai island of Hawaii.
If you are looking for exclusive information on US newspapers, you can visit the article written by our US media experts.
In the coming sections, we will discuss the top newspapers & news websites in Hawaii.
Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Honolulu Star-Advertiser is a daily newspaper in Hawaii and is also the largest in the state in terms of circulation. Established in 2010, the paper currently covers all facets of news and updates including sports, politics, entertainment, & international news.
History of Honolulu Star-Advertiser
The paper as we see it was established in 2010 by the merger of the erstwhile newspapers The Honolulu Advertiser and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. But it is important to note that its history can actually be traced back to the Honolulu Advertiser that was established in 1864.
It was in 2010 Black Press Ltd, the owners of Honolulu Star-Bulletin acquired Honolulu Advertiser from Gannet and merged the two to form the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
What do they publish?
- A daily printed edition of the newspaper that is circulated across the state. As of 2012, the paper had a daily circulation of 209,915 copies, 154,044 copies on Saturdays, & 164,316 copies on Sundays.
- An online news website with dedicated sections for news, top news, weather, image & video gallery, latest news, sports, obituaries, business, editorial, and more.
- An e-edition of the newspaper that can be accessed by paid subscribers from the paper’s official website.
Honolulu Star-Advertiser Online
Honolulu Star-Advertiser ePaper
Honolulu Star-Advertiser Android App
Honolulu Star-Advertiser iOS App
KITV
KITV is a TV station on Hawaii licensed to Honolulu. The channel first went on air in 1954 and is currently owned by Allen Media Broadcasting company. KITV is one among the few TV channels in the US to have had a dedicated wing for news operation since its inception. As of 2020, the channel airs 29 hours of locally produced newscasts each week and it recently won the Regional Emmy Award for the best newscast in Hawaii.
Apart from the newscast, KITV also publishes an online news website covering news & updates from across the state. There are dedicated sections on the website for news, weather, sports, and more.
West Hawaii Today
West Hawaii Today is a daily newspaper in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii owned by Black Press. The paper was established in 1962 as the Kona Tribune-Herald. It was initially published as a weekly special edition of Hilo Tribune-Herald. Over the years, it was converted to a weekly newspaper and eventually became a daily newspaper.
The paper currently covers all facets of news and updates from the west side of Hawaii’s Big Island, and important national & international news. Apart from the printed edition of the paper, West Hawaii Today also publishes an online news website with dedicated sections for breaking news, business, sports, entertainment, opinion, classifieds and weather.
They also publish an e-edition of the newspaper that can be accessed from the website by paid subscribers.
Honolulu Civil Beat
Honolulu Civil Beat is an online news website in Hawaii owned by Honolulu Civil Beat Inc. It is an investigative journalist news website and is solely dedicated to covering news & updates concerning the Hawaii state’s government. The website was launched in 2010 and has since been closely monitoring public affairs & governmental activities.
There are dedicated sections on the website for Hawaii news, ideas, special project, podcasts, newsletters, and, popular news. Other than an active presence on the web, Honolulu Civil Beat also has an active presence on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
Honolulu Civil Beat Android App
The Maui News
The Maui News is a daily newspaper in Hawaii catering to the residents of the islands of Maui, Lanai and Molokai. The paper was established in 1900 and has over the years grown to become a prominent publication in the region. As per the readership survey of 2014, The Maui News had a daily circulation of 18,247 copies & 20,590 copies on Sundays.
Apart from the daily printed edition, the paper also publishes an online news website. The website is frequently updated with the latest news & updates and has dedicated sections for news, sports, opinion, life, obituaries, classifieds, most & read the news. Paid subscribers can also access the e-edition of the paper for free from the website.
Hawaii Reporter News
Hawaii Reporter News is an independently owned online news website covering business, government, political and educational stories. The website was launched in 2002 and is today recommended as a must-read publication by the state’s top business and political leaders.
The news website is frequently updated with the latest news & updates and has dedicated sections for news, special features, business tech, life, entertainment & more. Apart from a strong presence on the web, Hawaii Reporter News also has an active social media presence.
Maui Now
Maui Now? is an online news website in Hawaii covering news & updates from Maui island and catering to its residents. The website has dedicated sections for Maui news, discussions, business, weather updates, obituaries, classifieds, lifestyle, arts & entertainment, and more.
Apart from a strong presence on the web, Maui Now also has an active presence on social media platforms. Readers can also choose to follow Maui Now’s social media handles for regular updates.
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Hawaii Tribune Herald is a daily newspaper in Hawaii owned by Oahu Publications Inc. Since its inception in 1895, the paper has been covering news & updates from East Hawaii. The paper was first launched as Hilo Tribune and it was over the years renamed to Hawaii Tribune Herald.
Apart from the daily printed edition, Hawaii Tribune Herald also publishes an online news website with dedicated sections for local, sports, commentary, obituaries, features, and more.
Hawaii Tribune-Herald Android App
Big Island News
Big Island News is an online news website in Hawaii covering news & updates from Big Island. The website covers news, updates on events, weather updates, sports news, opinion, video, and has dedicated sections for these categories.
Other than an active presence on the web, Big Island News also has an active presence on Facebook & Twitter.
Hawaii Public Radio
?Hawaii Public Radio is a non-commercial, listener-supported radio station in Hawaii which first went on the air in 1981. Apart from the news broadcast on the channel, ?Hawaii Public Radio also publishes an online news website which is frequently updated with the latest news & updates from Hawaii.
?Hawaii Public Radio Android App
The Garden Island
The Garden Island is a daily newspaper in Hawaii, catering to the residents of the islands of Kauai and Niiha. The paper was established in 1902 and is today owned by Black Press. As per the readership survey of 2012, the paper had a daily circulation of 11,267 copies & Sunday circulation of 8,888 copies.
Other than these, they also publish an online news website and an e-edition of the paper.
Pacific Business News
Pacific Business News is the Hawaii edition of the online business news publication owned by Bizjournals. The website covers all facets of business news & updates concerning Hawaii.
Pacific Business News Android App
Ke Kalahea
Ke Kalahea is a news publication run by the students at the University of Hawaii. The was established with a focus on providing news coverage on topics concerning the university and its community. Apart from the printed edition of the newspaper, Ke Kalahea also publishes an online news website.
Maui Time Weekly
Maui Time Weekly is a free alternative weekly newspaper in Hawaii and owned by its publisher, Tommy Russo. The paper was first launched in 1997 and it had a circulation of 18,000 copies as of 2002. Apart from the weekly printed edition, the paper also publishes an online news website.
MidWeek
MidWeek is a weekly newspaper in Hawaii owned by Black Press. The paper was established in 1984 to provide advertisers in Honolulu, Hawaii a better way to reach more customers. Today the paper also publishes an online news website that is updated with the latest news & updates.
Hawaii Free Press
Hawaii Free Press is a twice-monthly newspaper in Hawaii that was established in 2005. It was established by Andrew Walden and as of 2020, the paper also publishes an online news website and has an active social media presence too.
Ka Leo O Hawaii
Ka Leo O Hawaii is a biweekly student newspaper published by the students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The paper was established in 1922 and as of 2015, the paper had a circulation of 10,000 copies. Ka Leo O Hawaii also publishes an online news website that is frequently updated with the latest news and updates.
Lahaina News
Lahaina News is a weekly newspaper in Hawaii owned by Ogden newspapers & catering to the residents in Lahaina. The paper mainly focuses on covering the local news & updates from Lahaina. Apart from these, they also publish an online news website with dedicated sections for news, sports, opinion, & more.
Hawaii 24/7
Hawaii 24/7 is a daily news website in Hawaii catering to the residents of Big Island. The website primarily covers local news & updates from Big Island and is regularly updated with the latest news & updates 24*7.
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Hawaii Catholic Herald is a bi-monthly newspaper published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu. The paper was established in 1947 as a replacement to the Catholic Herald Newspaper. Other than the printed edition, the paper also publishes an online news website covering news and updates about the church
Midweek Kauai
As the name suggests, Midweek Kauai is a weekly newspaper in Hawaii that is published on Wednesdays. It is a local newspaper and is primarily circulated among the residents of Kaua‘i. Other than the printed newspaper, the paper also publishes an online news website.
Conclusion
The news publications listed above are the prominent newspapers & news websites in Hawaii and they are not everything. As of 2020, there are about 90 newspapers & news websites exclusively covering news & updates from Hawaii.
The total circulation of newspapers was estimated to be 6,48,612 copies in 2018. Out of the newspapers, Midweek Oahu featuring Hawai’i news, sports, entertainment, lifestyle, politics, travel, food, restaurants, and classifieds is the largest newspaper in terms of circulation. Whereas, West Hawaii Today is the smallest paper in terms of circulation.
Like the other newspapers across the country, Hawaii newspapers are struggling to keep their business running. Newspapers in Hawaii have been battling with declining revenue from circulation and advertisements for a long time.
To stay afloat, newspapers in Hawaii have been doing massive layoffs, reducing the print schedule & sections on the paper. For instance, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, a prominent newspaper in Hawaii has laid off about half of its newsroom staff by the mid of 2020 and reduced the number of sections on the printed newspaper. On the other side, the lesser fortunate newspapers were forced to shut down their operations because of the financial burden.
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