mediations

Council Mediations

1978: Mayor Fasi vs. the press

When a press aide to then-mayor Frank Fasi barred a Honolulu Star-Bulletin reporter from four press conferences, allegedly because of his unfair coverage, the Star-Bulletin filed suit to enjoin the mayor from excluding the reporter from his press conferences. When the mayor then extended the ban to include reporters from both major dailies, allowing only electronic media reporters to attend what he called his collective "personal interviews," the Advertiser also went to court to restrain the mayor, contending that his action violated freedom

of the press. The Council prepared a paper stating its position and petitioned to enter the case as a friend of the court. The federal judge denied the petition, but suggested that the Council develop press conference guidelines. This was done, and the guidelines were incorporated in the declamatory judgment, which held that exclusion of newspaper reporters from an official's news conference was a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

1986: Marilyn Bornhorst vs. Mayor Fasi

City Council Chairperson Marilyn Bornhorst complained that Mayor Frank Fasi, in his commentaries on a morning talk show he hosted on KORL radio, "regularly [went] beyond the bounds of truth and good form." According to an article in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Fasi "used the show as a forum for his positions on political issues, often calling city officials or friends to comment."

One week after the Council began investigating the complaint, Fasi announced that he would quit the show. KORL Genera! Manager Richard Helm said that Fasi's leaving the show "had absolutely no connection" to the Council's investigation. Fasi told his listeners that he would no longer be doing the show because "I really don't have the time."

1988: Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate vs. the Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate complained to the Council that it was inaccurately and unfairly portrayed" in a series of articles which appeared in the Star-Bulletin. The Council reviewed thirteen specific complaints and found that the Star-Bulletin "failed to maintain a high level of objectivity and, in at least some cases, unfairly accentuated negative aspects and ignored or minimized the positive achievements of Kamehameha's academic programs." The Council found that three complaints were justified, five were valid in part, and five were not proved. Overall, the Council "felt that factual errors by the Star-Bulletin were not significant, but was concerned with what appeared to be errors of

emphasis or omission," added that, Despite these shortcomings the. Star-Bulletin series called needed public attention to Kamehameha Schools and generated useful community dialogue and debate" and agreed with the Star-Bulletin that "Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate is a powerful institution which requires more scrutiny than it has received in the past." The Council concluded its report: "We believe that the community would benefit from more critical investigative reporting on this and other subjects, and we hope that nothing in these findings will discourage the Star-Bulletin or other media from undertaking such reporting in the future."

1991: Prosecutor vs. KGMB-TV

County Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro and his Public Relations deputy. Doug Woo, charged that a female reporter for KGMB-TV engaged in unethical and unprofessional behavior in covering a criminal case. The Council's government relations committee investigated the complaint and concluded that the reporter had not acted unethically or

unprofessionally. When the committee's report was presented to the Council, Kaneshiro appeared personally to argue against its adoption while Terry Heaton, news director of Channel 9, appeared in support of the findings. The Council adopted its committee's report with minor changes.

1991: Labor leaders vs. the newspapers

Editors of a number of labor union newspapers complained that the big dailies tended to treat unions less than fairly, that labor leaders, in contrast to business executives, were often described in terms or headlines that denigrated them. The Council arranged a meeting of a half-dozen labor

leaders with Gerry Keir, editor of the Honolulu Advertiser, and a number of his assistant editors. Neither side persuaded the other, but a friendly atmosphere prevailed and the labor leaders felt that they'd been given an opportunity to express their feelings and opinions.

1995: Alex Santiago vs. the North Shore News

State Representative Alex Santiago complained that Ron Valenciana, publisher and editor of the North Shore News, had in the biweekly tabloid distorted his views on same-sex marriage, incorrectly reported on his talk to the North Shore Neighborhood Board on the subject of the Haleiwa bypass road, and distorted his views on the Lihi

Lani housing project at Pupukea. The Council determined in favor of the first two charges, but investigators were unable to verify the third charge. Valenciana refused to meet with the Council committee during the investigation and declined to attend the meeting at which the ruling was presented.

	1978: Mayor Fasi vs. the press
	When a press aide to then-mayor Frank Fasi barred a Honolulu Star-Bulletin reporter from four press conferences, allegedly because of his unfair coverage, the Star-Bulletin filed suit to enjoin the mayor from excluding the reporter from his press conferences. When the mayor then extended the ban to include reporters from both major dailies, allowing only electronic media reporters to attend what he called his collective "personal interviews," the Advertiser also went to court to restrain the mayor, contending that his action violated freedom	of the press. The Council prepared a paper stating its position and petitioned to enter the case as a friend of the court. The federal judge denied the petition, but suggested that the Council develop press conference guidelines. This was done, and the guidelines were incorporated in the declamatory judgment, which held that exclusion of newspaper reporters from an official's news conference was a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
	1986: Marilyn Bornhorst vs. Mayor Fasi
	City Council Chairperson Marilyn Bornhorst complained that Mayor Frank Fasi, in his commentaries on a morning talk show he hosted on KORL radio, "regularly [went] beyond the bounds of truth and good form." According to an article in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Fasi "used the show as a forum for his positions on political issues, often calling city officials or friends to comment."	One week after the Council began investigating the complaint, Fasi announced that he would quit the show. KORL Genera! Manager Richard Helm said that Fasi's leaving the show "had absolutely no connection" to the Council's investigation. Fasi told his listeners that he would no longer be doing the show because "I really don't have the time."
	1988: Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate vs. the Honolulu Star-Bulletin
	Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate complained to the Council that it was inaccurately and unfairly portrayed" in a series of articles which appeared in the Star-Bulletin. The Council reviewed thirteen specific complaints and found that the Star-Bulletin "failed to maintain a high level of objectivity and, in at least some cases, unfairly accentuated negative aspects and ignored or minimized the positive achievements of Kamehameha's academic programs." The Council found that three complaints were justified, five were valid in part, and five were not proved. Overall, the Council "felt that factual errors by the Star-Bulletin were not significant, but was concerned with what appeared to be errors of	emphasis or omission," added that, Despite these shortcomings the. Star-Bulletin series called needed public attention to Kamehameha Schools and generated useful community dialogue and debate" and agreed with the Star-Bulletin that "Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate is a powerful institution which requires more scrutiny than it has received in the past." The Council concluded its report: "We believe that the community would benefit from more critical investigative reporting on this and other subjects, and we hope that nothing in these findings will discourage the Star-Bulletin or other media from undertaking such reporting in the future."
	1991: Prosecutor vs. KGMB-TV
	County Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro and his Public Relations deputy. Doug Woo, charged that a female reporter for KGMB-TV engaged in unethical and unprofessional behavior in covering a criminal case. The Council's government relations committee investigated the complaint and concluded that the reporter had not acted unethically or	unprofessionally. When the committee's report was presented to the Council, Kaneshiro appeared personally to argue against its adoption while Terry Heaton, news director of Channel 9, appeared in support of the findings. The Council adopted its committee's report with minor changes.
	1991: Labor leaders vs. the newspapers
	Editors of a number of labor union newspapers complained that the big dailies tended to treat unions less than fairly, that labor leaders, in contrast to business executives, were often described in terms or headlines that denigrated them. The Council arranged a meeting of a half-dozen labor	leaders with Gerry Keir, editor of the Honolulu Advertiser, and a number of his assistant editors. Neither side persuaded the other, but a friendly atmosphere prevailed and the labor leaders felt that they'd been given an opportunity to express their feelings and opinions.
	1995: Alex Santiago vs. the North Shore News
	State Representative Alex Santiago complained that Ron Valenciana, publisher and editor of the North Shore News, had in the biweekly tabloid distorted his views on same-sex marriage, incorrectly reported on his talk to the North Shore Neighborhood Board on the subject of the Haleiwa bypass road, and distorted his views on the Lihi	Lani housing project at Pupukea. The Council determined in favor of the first two charges, but investigators were unable to verify the third charge. Valenciana refused to meet with the Council committee during the investigation and declined to attend the meeting at which the ruling was presented.