2012 Legislation Open to New Media

A new year of legislation comes with new ways of communicating information. At this years legislative open session, a broader scope of news gatherers were in attendance, including ʻŌiwiTV.

Ua hōʻea mai nā kime haʻi moʻolelo maʻamau o Hawaiʻi i kēia lā ma ke Kapikala no ka hoʻomaka ʻana o ka ʻahaʻōlelo. Eia naʻe, ua hōʻea pū mai kekahi mau kānaka haʻi moʻolelo hou, ʻo ʻŌiwi TV a me ko Mānoa hui ʻoihana haʻilono.

“ʻAʻole hiki i ka nūhou maʻamau ke kaʻana aku i nā nīnūnē a pau i pili i ka Hawaiʻi no kona ʻano hōpūpū, akā noʻu he Hawaiʻi, ʻo ia koʻu kuleana,” wahi a kekahi haumāna ʻoihana haʻilono o Mānoa, ʻo Keliʻi Alapai.

A i ko ka polopeka manaʻo, ʻo Josh Levinson, he koʻikoʻi nō ka loaʻa ʻana o ia mau hui haʻilono hou nei ma ka ʻahaʻōlelo.

“Noʻu ponoʻī, ua kūpono ka loaʻa ʻana o kēia mau hui o ke kaiāulu e haʻilono ana no kēia mau nīnūnē koʻikoʻi e hāpai ʻia ana.”

A ʻo nā nīnūnē koʻikoʻi o Hawaiʻi nei, ua pili nō i ke ʻano nohona Hawaiʻi.

“Hoʻāʻo mākou e hoʻokomo i nā waiwai o kākou Hawaiʻi ma loko o nā palapala o nei ʻāina a lāhui,” wahi a ke Kenekoa Brickwood Galuteria.

Eia naʻe, ua hōʻoia pū ʻo ia no ka hiki ʻole o kēia mau nīnūnē koʻikoʻi ke pā aku i ka lehulehu Hawaiʻi me ka ʻole o kona hoʻolaha ʻia.

“ʻO kēia ʻaoʻao pāpaho ke ala e hiki ai ka lehulehu ke hoʻoholo i ko lākou mau manaʻo. He pakanā ia na mākou.”

A no Keliʻi, he pili ko ia pahuhopu nei i kona kuleana he kanaka haʻilono Hawaiʻi. “He koʻikoʻi ko ka lehulehu ʻike ʻana i ka pono o kākou Hawaiʻi.”

No laila, e makaʻala i ka ʻahaʻōlelo o kēia makahiki. A no ka ʻikepili hou aku e pili ana i nā nīnūnē e hāpai ʻia ana, e nānā mai iā ʻŌiwi TV.

The normal news crews were among new storytellers at the Capitol today for the Legislature Session Open. And these new storytellers were ʻŌiwi TV and Manoa’s student journalists.

“The news has a limit as to what they can report on regarding Hawaiian issues. It’s just a touchy subject and I feel that because I am of Hawaiian ancestry, I can have a better insight as to what’s important to the Hawaiians,” says Keliʻi Alapai, a Journalist major at Mānoa.

And according to the Mānoa Journalism professor, Josh Levinson, these groups are a necessary aspect in our political system.

“I think that having students come in and groups like ʻŌlelo, you know, community groups, who are here and observing and really following the issues through from beginning to end, this is really where the major issues come to a head.”

And the major issues of Hawaiʻi have to do with our Hawaiian lifestyle.

“I think what we try to do is embed some of the values of our Hawaiian community, of the first and host culture into the policies of our land,” says Senator Brickwood Galuteria.

But he also agrees that the Hawaiian community can’t get involved without being informed first.

“Media is there to provide the viewer or the constituent with a balanced view so that they can make informed decisions as the legislature can. So we look at the media as a partner.”

And that’s a responsibility Keliʻi feels is a part of her own. “It’s so important for the public to know what the Hawaiians stand for and what our future holds for our keiki.”

So keep an eye out for this year’s Legislative session, and for more info, watch ʻŌiwi TV.