March 2024 Gleanings
Big Island Press Club announces annual Torch of Light, Lava Tube, Oʻo, Member of the Year awards for 2023
Announcing our annual awards! Read on for Torch of Light, Lava Tube, ʻOʻO award and Member of the Year recognition.
Save the date! Our annual scholarship dinner in Hilo, May 9 at Luquins in Hilo. And, don't forget to renew your membership and pay your dues!
Have news to share? Just email Gleanings editor Nancy Cook Lauer at nclauer@gmail.com for inclusion in an upcoming issue.
MEETING NOTICE: BIPC Board meeting in person at the University of Hawaii-Hilo Campus Center. April 13, 2024 at 10 a.m. Open to members. Free parking. Email President Michael Phillips at phillips@weatherboy.com for more info.
Foley awarded meritorious Torch of Light award; Barros earns Lava Tube dishonor
The Big Island Press Club awards its annual meritorious Torch of Light Award to retired Intermediate Court of Appeals Judge Daniel Foley, and the Lava Tube dishonor award to HIEMA Administrator Col. (Ret.) James Barros. The Torch of Light award is given to an individual or entity for illuminating the public’s right to know, while the Lava Tube dishonor is given for a lack of communication and keeping the public in the dark.
As it has for past 26 years, the 57-year-old press club announces the awards yearly on March 16, Freedom of Information Day, the birthday of James Madison, who was widely regarded as the founder of the U.S. Constitution and the leading advocate for openness in government among our founders.
In addition to the two usual acknowledgements awarded annually by the press club, there’s a special Oʻo Award this year for a journalist or public affairs representative who’s dug especially deeply and unearthed information that creates groundbreaking news, as well as a Member of the Year award for a BIPC member going above and beyond in the interest of freedom of information.
Torch of Light
BIPC has selected retired Intermediate Court of Appeals Judge Daniel Foley for the Torch of Light award.
After a raft of federal indictments of public officials at all levels of Hawaii government, House Speaker Scott Saiki convened a special commission chaired by Foley that produced a collection of bills aimed at increasing transparency and stemming corruption.
Foley, in addition to guiding the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct, (often dubbed the “Foley Commission” in the press) also attended hearings on and/or submitted testimony and met with officials about all 31 of the measures in the commission package, shepherding them through the process.
While not all of the measures passed, Foley was able to see a significant majority of them make their way through the legislative process to be signed by Gov. Josh Green. Because of that, Hawaii citizens have more assurance that it will no longer be business as usual in Hawaii government.
“Hawaii is indeed fortunate to have a volunteer advocate looking out for transparency and accountability in state government,” said BIPC Secretary Nancy Cook Lauer. “It’s rare to see a government appointee work well beyond the job description and for that, we are grateful on behalf of the citizenry.”
Foley will be presented with BIPC’s iconic torch award at the organization’s annual meeting in December.
Lava Tube Dishonor
BIPC has chosen HI-EMA Administrator Col. (Ret.) James Barros for his continued support of the state’s Constitutionally questionable law allowing the governor and county mayors to suspend electronic media transmission during a state of emergency, a law that journalists fear could be interpreted by some leaders as a “kill switch” of sorts which would prevent journalists from reporting news during an emergency.
Barros, who took over the position on Jan. 17, 2023, spent his first day in office attacking freedoms of speech and press by testifying against House Bill 522, which would have restored First Amendment rights to journalists by removing this provision in state law.
Groups like the Big Island Press Club, the Hawaii Association of Broadcasters, and the Hawaii Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists want the change because current state law allows the Governor or any Mayor to suspend “electronic media transmission” without defining what such a transmission is.
“The hunger for fact-based information is never higher than during an emergency, and when that information is hard to come by, people will sometimes resort to rumors and speculation. That should be the last thing government would want in a declared emergency,” BIPC President Michael Phillips said in testimony to the Legislature.
Because of Barros’ interference, HB 522 and SB 103 weren’t heard in conference for a final vote. And as such, a law that allows Hawaii’s leaders to interfere with electronic media communications remains on the books.
Member of the year
Chris Leonard, BIPC Member, HAB President, & President of New West Broadcasting Corp., was selected as BIPC Member of the Year for his consistent work trying to negotiate an alternative to the onerous language in state law.
Over many months, despite a demanding schedule at the helm of his radio station group on the Big Island, Leonard spent many hours in Honolulu providing in-person testimony on the bills and meeting with television station management in Honolulu to testify themselves while bringing light to the issue with the public by producing news segments on the bill. Leonard worked with the Big Island Press Club and other stake holders to coordinate conversations with local and state leaders to rally support behind HB 522 and SB 103.
Oʻo Award
The Oʻo Award for a journalist or public affairs representative who’s dug especially deeply and unearthed information that creates groundbreaking news is awarded to Kevin Dayton, senior reporter for Honolulu Civil Beat.
Dayton, digging into public records through numerous requests through Hawaii’s Uniform Information Practices Act and cultivating sources within the system, wrote dozens of articles shining the light on dire conditions in Hawaii’s prisons and jails, raising public awareness and sparking government action.
“I can confidently say that because of Kevin's dedication to government accountability, the public knows what is happening in the jails and prisons, and that had undoubtedly pushed people and government leaders to fight for change. Without Kevin and his imperative reporting, Task Force 85 might have never came to fruition, which means the Commission wouldn't have either,” said Christin M. Johnson, oversight coordinator for the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission.
The Big Island Press Club will hold a luncheon in December to present the awards and honor the winners. Tickets to attend this event will be available about a month beforehand to both club members and non-members at bigislandpressclub.org .
Help BIPC honor this year's scholarship winners
BIPC will host a scholarship dinner on May 9 at Luquins in Hilo. Tickets will be on sale on the website in the next couple of weeks. We will host Civil Beat’s politics and opinion editor Chad Blair for a discussion on the state of media and the future of newspapering. And of course we look forward to announcing and introducing our scholarship winners.
“My hope is for an awesome turnout of our membership for this cornerstone event for our club,” said Tiffany Edwards Hunt, Scholarship Committee chairwoman and club vice president. “As you know, giving out scholarships is one of the main things our club does.”
Ticket sales closed for April 13 Newsmaker with Tom Peek
We're expecting a good mix of BIPC members, soon-to-be-members, nonmembers and students for this event on the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus. Hope to see you there!
2024 Big Island Press Club Board
Please feel free to contact any board members with your suggestions, or if you wish to volunteer!
President: Michael Phillips, meteorologist & earth science news reporter mphillips@weatherboy.com
Vice President: Tiffany Edwards Hunt, former journalist, middle school teacher <newswoman@mac.com>
Treasurer: Bob Duerr, filmmaker and journalist, Hawaii Fishing News <surf77@me.com>
Secretary: Nancy Cook Lauer, retired journalist, blogger www.allhawaiinews.com <nclauer@gmail.com>
Director: Ross Wilson, PR, Current Events <rossw@current-events.com> Director: Royelen Lee Boykie, retired digital strategist and fundraiser <Royelen@bigislandpressclub.org>
Director: Patsy Iwasaki, professor, University of Hawaii-Hilo <piwasaki@hawaii.edu>
Director: Jim Wilson, retired publisher, Hawaii Tribune-Herald <wilson1012@twc.com>
Immediate Past President: John Burnett, journalist, Tribune-Herald <jburnett@hawaiitribuneherald.com>
