Media management

The project presented to Ho‘akea Communications was to increase understanding and support for the creation of a Native Hawaiian governing entity through a comprehensive communications strategy. At the time, legal and constitutional challenges created an urgency to protect programs and organizations that benefit Native Hawaiians. The issues are complex, the emotions surrounding them volatile. Ho’akea Communications’ approach was to clarify the choices the community faced through a comprehensive communications program to included extensive work with the national and local news media.

Because laws affecting Native Hawaiians are made locally and in Washington D.C., Ho‘akea Communications pursued coverage in both the local and national media. The goal was to encourage a higher level of understanding of the issues among Native Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians in our state, and across the country. The Ho‘akea staff conducted a series of editorial briefings with newspapers, television, and radio stations and worked with individual journalists to provide facts and background information.

Results included:

• Three extensive stories in The Washington Post
• A comprehensive series in Pacific Business News
• Over 50 articles in the Honolulu Advertiser and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin over a period of six months
• A dozen features on network television news
• Personality features in local publications, including a cover story in MidWeek.