Maui Now, Wendy Osher win Society of Professional Journalism Hawaiʻi awards for multimedia work

Maui Now and Managing Editor and journalist, Wendy Osher were recognized by the Society of Professional Journalism Hawaiʻi with a second place award for multimedia reporting, and third place for overall news site.

In the highly competitive category for Best Multimedia Presentation, Osher was recognized with a second place award for her coverage of the Maui Police Department’s preliminary after-action report, filed six months after the Aug. 8, 2023 Lahaina wildfire.

The story entitled, “Maui police present 98-page after-action report detailing 32 recommendations following Lahaina wildfire,” focused on the department’s response to the deadly wildfire. The story presented video from the department’s press conference that was filmed and edited on site, along with graphics and photos that identified key information on findings and recommendations.

Osher earned a bachelor’s degree in Print Journalism from the University of Southern California. She has covered local news in many forms over the past 25-plus years, assisting with the launch of the island’s first regularly scheduled news magazine TV program at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College, filming and editing Maui-based news packages in partnership with local TV news stations, delivering live neighbor island reports on network TV, serving for many years as an anchor for Maui election coverage, and filing special reports on key Maui news items with the Star-Bulletin (now Honolulu Star-Advertiser).

She has covered everything from criminal court proceedings to island cultural celebrations, road safety rallies, and more recently—the response, aftermath and lessons learned from the devastating 2023 Maui wildfires.

The Maui Now site was also recognized with a third place award for Best Overall News Site. Among those recognized were: Technical Director, David Christy; Director, Jack Dugan who also serves as Chief Operating Officer of Pacific Media Group; and Managing Editor, Wendy Osher who is also the News Director for Pacific Media Group’s six Maui radio stations.

Hawaiʻi SPJ Excellence in Journalism 2024 awards were presented on Wednesday, July 30, 2025 at the Japanese Cultural Center ballroom on Oʻahu. Entries were judged by the Louisville Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

A full list of award recipients is posted online here.