The Maui News changes to weekly print edition

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Maui News has delivered print publications since 1900… five years before the forming of Maui County itself, according to the Newspaper. Now with dwindling staff, the paper is changing with the times.

According to The Maui News staff writer and Pacific Media Guild Union Representative, Robert Collias, its newsroom only has five people covering news for Maui, Lanai, and Molokai – only two of which are field reporters, Collias being one of them.

The daily paper is now switching to a weekly print publication delivered every Thursday. People can expect the weekly edition starting June 6.

“It’s a cost-cutting move. It’s definitely going to cost people jobs. It’s going to cost our community coverage they deserve,” stated Collias.

A statement posted on The Maui News website by its publisher reads,

We will transition the maui news to a… digital-focused publishing strategy… that is the direction that most of the industry is heading. Focusing our resources on our digital offerings and a weekly print edition allows us to support the work that Maui needs most.

As more print publications move online, University of Hawaii Journalism Program Director & Professor Brett Oppegaard, said it’s a symptom of shrinking newsrooms and an outdated business model.

“This is a sign, I think, that Maui is becoming more and more of a news desert, and that’s going to greatly impact the citizens there that rely on local news to know what’s happening around them,” stated Oppegaard.

Union representatives are now concerned about potential lay-offs.

Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news

“The people who work with the press as the newspaper comes rolling off, we believe that they’re in grave danger of losing their jobs,” said Collias. “They’re taking away a community icon. This is a loss for our community in a large way.”