The Story Behind the Story: Hawaiʻi Journalism Initiative seeks community support to sustain local news

If you have read in-depth reporting on Maui recently—from deep dives into West Maui water disputes to the celebration of the Central East Maui Little League team—you have likely been reading the work of the Hawaiʻi Journalism Initiative.

As 2025 comes to a close, the nonprofit newsroom that provides this content to MauiNow.com is launching a critical fundraising campaign to sustain its operations into the new year.

Filling the Void

HJI was founded to address a growing crisis: the decline of local news availability in the islands. With traditional outlets such as The Maui News cutting staff and facing uncertain futures under mainland ownership, community leaders warned that Maui was at risk of losing a valuable community resource — unbiased, fair and accurate local news reporting.

“Maui County is becoming a news desert and is in desperate need of in-depth stories that inspire, entertain, and motivate residents to engage in our community,” said Lee Imada, HJI Editorial Advisor and former veteran editor at The Maui News.

To prevent this silent news void from becoming the “new normal,” HJI transitioned from a startup to a fully operational newsroom. Since May 2024, the team—led by Editor Colleen Uechi and Reporter Rob Collias—has produced more than 325 deep-dive articles. These stories have generated more than 400,000 views, covering essential topics such as housing permits, recovery funds, and high school sports.

Local Roots, Local Impact 

Unlike outlets with foreign or mainland ownership, the HJI team is entirely local. From the Board of Directors to the reporting staff, every member lives full-time on Maui.

HJI operates on a unique model: its news team provides investigative reporting to MauiNow.com for free because a dedicated belief that accurate information shouldn’t have a paywall. However, the organization notes that “while the reading is free, the reporting is not.”

How to Help

For HJI to continue “digging” for the hard-to-get stories in 2026, its board of directors has set a fundraising goal of $500,000 to fully fund HJI’s investigative budget for the coming year. The funds will support reporting on critical upcoming issues, including scarce water resources, tax policies, and the rebuilding of Lahaina.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, all donations to HJI are tax-deductible.

Readers who value fact-based, accountability-driven journalism can contribute in the following ways:

• Donate Online: Visit hjinow.org/support to make a one-time, monthly, or annual contribution.
• Spread the Word: Residents are encouraged to share this initiative with friends, as word of mouth is considered the organization’s most powerful tool.

“Your tax-deductible gift of whatever you can invest ensures that when the next big decision is made about our water, land, or taxes, we are there to report it for you,” the HJI Board said.