The Hawaiʻi Institute for Public Affairs’ Hawaiʻi News Desert Project is a multi-phase initiative aimed at understanding and reversing the decline of local news across the Hawaiian Islands. By combining data analysis, industry engagement, and community dialogue, the project seeks to identify locally grounded solutions that ensure robust, credible journalism remains a pillar of civic life in Hawai‘i.

As the primary way people stay informed about local government, natural disasters, public safety, and other critical issues, local news serves as a foundational pillar of civic life. Hawai‘i is facing a growing crisis in the decline in the quality and diversity of local journalism, particularly on the neighbor islands. Over the past two decades, the state has seen the collapse or consolidation of many local news outlets and the erosion of investigative capacity. Without accurate, accessible information, communities cannot hold institutions and leaders accountable, participate meaningfully in democracy, or ensure the inclusion of diverse voices and experiences.