According to an article on honoluluadvertiser.com, Hawai'i car dealer, Mike McKenna is currently interested in buying the Honolulu Star Bulletin. If he actually goes through with this, it could mean big news not only for the journalism community, but the entire state as well.
On Feb. 25, the owner of the Honolulu Star Bulletin, David Black bought out the Honolulu Advertiser. Because it is illegal to own two newspapers, the Star Bulletin has been put up for sale. If there are no buyers, there ultimately will only be one newspaper.
"McKenna, owner of Mike McKenna's Windward Ford in Kailua, said he plans to make inquiries with the Star-Bulletin's owner, Oahu Publications Inc., which will officially put the state's No. 2 daily newspaper on the market next week," said the website.
Hawaii prides itself on not having a newspaper monopoly, and the current buyout would ruin that. Not only is pride the only issue, the people of Hawai'i would no longer have a choice in their newspaper.
For the original story: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100312/NEWS01/3120355/Hawaii+car+dealer+McKenna+interested+in+buying+Star-Bulletin
But as an aspiring journalism student, the thought of having only one newspaper in Hawai'i is a scary thought. The journalism field is already competitive as is, but now it's even more competitive. We not only are competing against fellow interns for opportunities, we're competing against the people who have lost their jobs.
I hope that someone will buy the Star Bulletin because not only would it be better for the job market, it'll be great to uphold a tradition of having two newspapers. The only thing that we can do now is wait and see what unfolds.
hawaii was so proud to be one of the few cities to own 2 newspapers...but now we can't even say that. it's a sad story.
ReplyDeletei'm a journalism major also, and it's more scary to think that it's going to be even more competitive. however, being from a younger generation, we have the skills. the old dogs who are in the industry right now don't have the skills of convergence. they don't know how to twitter or blog or use facebook. they don't know how to use photoshop or how to shoot video...stuff like that.
maybe we need to move to the mainland though.. -_-
Yeah, someone buy it! It will be good for the economy to keep the Star Bulletin in effect. My friend works there too. I should get the inside scoop on where it's headed.
ReplyDeleteMainland has plenty competition too. They are well equipped with technologies along with crafty users. So, sustaining the island is mo bettah.