MEDIATOR AND ADVOCATE: THE HISTORY OF THE HONOLULU COMMUNITY-MEDIA COUNCIL A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN AMERICAN STUDIES MAY 2005 By Ralph Thomas Kam Dissertation Committee: Floyd W. Matson, Chairperson Dennis M. Ogawa David E. Stannard Beverly Keever Richard Rapson iii ©Copyright 2005 by Ralph Thomas Kam IV To Kathy, Emalani and Joshua v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to extend my gratitude to the members ofthe Honolulu Community­ Media Council, past and present, for their candor and availability. I also owe a debt of gratitude to the librarians and archivists at the University ofHawaii, especially James Cartwright, Joan Hori and Dore Minatodani, for suggestions ofand access to the documentary materials. The staffofthe Legislative Reference Bureau also provided valuable assistance. Thanks, too, goes to Anne Harpham, reader representative ofthe Honolulu Advertiser, for access to the newspaper's clipping morgue. My appreciation also goes to the Teaching and Learning Center at Hawaii Pacific University. Thanks also to Doug and Paula Anderson for their assistance in transcription ofinterviews. Most importantly, I would like to thank my wife and children for their love and support ofthis endeavor, and my parents for instilling in me a love oflearning. VI ABSTRACT This dissertation takes the first comprehensive look at the political and intellectual history ofthe Honolulu Community-Media Council. Since 1970 the council has played a significant role in shaping the political landscape ofHawaii. This study describes the council's dual role as media watchdog and as media champion. As media watchdog it has served as mediator between the most powerful individuals and organizations in Hawaii. Governors, mayors, and media conglomerates have been parties to its more than one hundred mediations. The council has also resisted increasing media consolidation, and promoted fair and accurate coverage ofindividuals and organizations. As media champion the council has opposed government secrecy and censorship and lobbies for increased access to governmental proceedings. Using archival materials and interviews, this study explores the council's impact on media policy and law. This study looks at factors contributing to the continuing viability ofthe organization and its implications for other communities interested in forming press councils. Vll TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS V ABSTRACT VI TABLE OF CONTENTS VII CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 2: PROLOGUE 16 CHAPTER 3: LET IT BE 43 CHAPTER 4: DEJA VU 74 CHAPTER 5: LET THE SUNSHINE IN 95 CHAPTER 6: LIGHTS, ACTION, CAMERA 121 CHAPTER 7: LIBERTY OR LICENSE 128 CHAPTER 8: PUBLIC VERSUS THE MEDIA 140 CHAPTER 9: JUST POLITICS 149 CHAPTER 10: BATTLE OF THE TITANS 160 CHAPTER 11: STATE OF JOURNALISM IN HAWAII 170 CHAPTER 12: POLITICIANS VERSUS THE MEDIA 187 CHAPTER 13: PRESERVING DIVERSE EDITORIAL VOICES 203 CHAPTER 14: COMBATING A "CULTURE OF SECRECY" 221 CHAPTER 15: FUTURE OF THE HONOLULU COMMUNITY-MEDIA COUNCIL. 240 APPENDIX A: HONOLULU COMMUNITY-MEDIA COUNCIL CHAIRS AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS 257 APPENDIX B: CHRONOLOGY 259 APPENDIX C: FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE HONOLULU COMMUNITY-MEDIA COUNCIL ................................................................................................................................................................ 263 APPENDIX D: AWARD WINNERS 265 WORKS CITED 266 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION "I infer that [the press'] security [ ... ] must altogether depend on public opinion, and on the general spirit ofthe people and ofthe government." -Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers, No. 84 This dissertation looks at the history ofthe Honolulu Community-Media Council, a private, nonprofit voluntary association that "seeks to promote accurate and fair journalism in Hawaii, broaden public understanding ofthe role ofthe media, foster discussion ofmedia issues, strengthen public support for First Amendment rights and freedoms, and improve public access to information."! For more than three decades the council has played a significant role in shaping the political landscape ofHawaii through its dual function as media watchdog and as media champion. As media watchdog, it has served as mediator between the most powerful individuals and organizations in Hawaii. Governors, mayors, and media conglomerates have been parties to its more than one hundred mediations. In performing the watchdog function, the council also resists increasing media consolidation, and promotes fair and accurate coverage ofindividuals and organizations. As media champion the council opposes government secrecy and censorship and lobbies for increased access to governmental proceedings and records. In doing so the council also has influenced issues central to a vibrant democracy-freedom ofthe press, open government, media responsibility, equal time, fair trials, and privacy. 2 The Honolulu Community-Media Council performs these roles in the common ground between the public, media, and government. Former council member Wilbur Schramm, the founding director ofthe East-West Center's Communications Institute, described in 1977 the model ofthe Honolulu Community-Media Council as "situated in the middle of a triangle, between government, the media, and the people."z Although writing about a proposed national news council, the model presented by Ralph Lowenstein ofthe University ofMissouri School ofJournalism could apply also to local councils. He wrote in Press Councils: Idea and Reality: "We must picture in our mind's eye powerful national media on one side, powerful centralized government on the other side, and now a powerful national press council in the middle.,,3 Called "unique,,4 by one ofits founders, the council has survived longer than dozens ofits kind, and even witnessed the birth and death ofits national counterpart. As early as 1946 the publisher in Littleton, Colorado, had hosted a group ofcitizens to "roast" his newspapers at an annual gathering. The Commission on Freedom ofthe Press, also known as the Hutchins Commission after its chairman, University ofChicago President Robert M. Hutchins, recommended an organization like a press council in 1947. The commission, in its report titled A Free and Responsible Press, called for "the establishment ofa new and independent agency to appraise and report annually upon the 1 Fact Sheet: Honolulu Community-Media Council, Honolulu Community-Media Council, Available: http://ilind.net/mediacouncillimages/factSheet.pdf, 27 December 2003. 2 "Schramm Finds Fault with Media Panel," Honolulu Advertiser 13 April 1977. 3 Ralph Lyn Lowenstein, Press Councils: Idea and Reality (Columbia, Mo.: Freedom ofInformation Foundation, 1973). 4 Jim A. Richstad, "Community-Media Panel Here Unique," Honolulu Advertiser 17 November 1970. 3 performance ofthe press."s The recommendation was one ofthree items listed under the heading "What Can Be Done By the Public." Just three years after the Hutchins report the first press council appeared in the United States albeit at a local rather than national level. Formed in Santa Rosa, California, nearly two decades before Honolulu's, the press council lasted only three years.6 Between 1967 and 1969 the Mellett Fund sponsored six experimental councils in Redwood City, California; Bend, Oregon; Cairo, Illinois; Sparta, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; and Seattle, Washington. Starting in 1970 the Peoria Journal-Star paid the 21 members ofits Women's Advisory Board to solicit feedback concerning the newspaper.? Thus, several press councils preceded the Honolulu effort; all but the latter one, however, ended operations before the start ofthe Honolulu Community-Media Council. So, although not a pioneer, the Honolulu council has demonstrated its staying power. The Minnesota News Council started in 1971, just months after its Honolulu counterpart.8 In the next couple years three more press councils formed in Iowa Falls, Iowa; Greenville, Mississippi; and Riverside, California; but all three had closed by 1976.9 The latter council shared with its Honolulu counterpart the commitment on the part ofThe (Riverside) Press and Daily Enterprise to publish the council's findings but also the recognition that: "The editors in no sense will be bound by S Commission on Freedom ofthe Press., A Free and Responsible Press: A General Report on Mass Communication; Newspapers. Radio. Motion Pictures. Magazines. and Books (Chicago, IL: The University ofChicago Press, 1947). 6 Claude Jean Bertrand, An Arsenal for Democracy: Media Accountability Systems, Hampton Press Communication Series. Communication Alternatives (Creskill, N.J.: Hampton Press, 2003) 150. 7 Bertrand, An Arsenal for Democracy: Media Accountability Systems 156. 8 Washington News Council: History, Washington News Council, Available: http://www.wanewscounci1.org/History.htm. 3 January 2003. 9 Bertrand, An Arsenal for Democracy: Media Accountability Systems 157. 4 the council's findings; they retain absolute discretion in determining the content ofthe newspaper as well as ultimate responsibility for what appears in print in the news and editorial columns."l0 More than two decades later, a 1998 split ofthe six-year-old Northwest News Council resulted in the establishment ofthe Washington News Counci1.!! Today, Honolulu, Minnesota and Washington have the only remaining media councils in the United States, though dozens ofnational and provincial news councils exist in other