University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa broadcast journalism students capped off their spring semester by airing two news magazine TV shows in front of a statewide audience on Hawaiʻi News Now network K5. Stories included topics surrounding stewardship of the ʻāina, affordable housing and food security.
Journalism students from the School of Communications in UH Mānoa’s College of Social Sciences produced two, 30-minute UHMtv news shows in spring 2022. Each show focused on civic and community engagement issues involving campus life, UH research and legislative policies. Several students even flew to Hawaiʻi island and Kahoʻolawe during their spring break to capture their stories on location. The shows were written, hosted and produced by students in the Journalism 480 course, and filmed in the state-of-the-art College of Social Sciences Digital Studios in the Sinclair Student Success Center.
The first show aired on May 8, and covered the following topics:
- UH‘s stewardship of Maunakea
- UH researchers responding to a new shark conservation law
- Reducing your carbon footprint by planting one tree at a time
- Talk story session with proud UH journalism alum and chair of the state house committee on higher education and technology, Rep. Gregg Takayama
View this show on UHMtv’s YouTube page.
The second show aired on May 15, and covered the following topics:
- UH geography students conducting research and restoration on Kahoʻolawe
- HOPE Services helping homeless kūpuna on Hawaiʻi Island
- Kohala farmers working to get more fresh food in public schools
- Talk story session with proud UH alum and new Head Football Coach Timmy Chang
View this show on UHMtv’s YouTube page.
“It was a major roller coaster with ups and downs that ended with an amazing experience. I feel so lucky to have had a hand in almost every story,” said Jordyn Poyo, student producer and recent graduate in communications. “It was such an experience to watch it from conception to completion. I would do it all again if I could.”
Ethan Young, student producer, anchor and senior journalism major, added, “I am beyond proud, not only of myself, but of my classmates as well. Everybody really came together to produce a new look and feel to our UHMtv student show and really told engaging stories to share with our community. The show wouldn’t have turned out to be as good, or as fresh as it did, if even one of my peers didn’t get involved.”
This work is an example of UH Mānoa’s goals of Enhancing Student Success (PDF) and Excellence in Research: Advancing the Research and Creative Work Enterprise (PDF), two of four goals identified in the 2015–25 Strategic Plan (PDF), updated in December 2020.
—By Marc Arakaki
