Hawaii Public Radio – Diversity Statement

Hawaii is often called the melting pot of the Pacific because of the diverse cultures of its residents. The population in Hawaii has no “majority”; everyone is a member of a minority group. Hawaii Public Radio knows that diversity among its staff, management, and board, is the key to understanding its community, connecting with it, and providing relative and engaging content. Since Hawaii Public Radio is a state wide network, diversity requires more than addressing the basic elements of gender, age, race, religion, culture, life experiences, and economic status. We also need to be sensitive to the differences that exist among the residents of the islands. As we go forward we will continue to seek and hire candidates for staff, management, and board positions that at a minimum maintain, but preferably broaden, the diversity that currently exists at Hawaii Public Radio.
 
Procedures followed by Hawaii Public Radio will meet the standards of federal and state law, Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s Diversity Eligibility Criteria.
 
Hawaii Public Radio Diversity Report for 2019:
 
October 2018 – September 2019 was a period of growth and change for Hawaii Public Radio. Seventeen staff were hired, eight for new positions and nine to fill vacant positions. HPR incorporated its diversity goals in its selection of its Accounting Assistant, Membership Assistant, Membership Coordinator, Pledge & Listener Experience Producer, Director of Marketing, Corporate Relations Associates, “The Conversation” Producers, General Assignment Reporter, News Editor, Studio Board Operators, program hosts, and an SPJ intern. Eleven hires were women, eleven of the seventeen were of minority races, and they were all of varied ages and diverse life experiences. A photo of the station’s current staff would be a true testament to the station’s and board’s commitment to its diversity goals and meeting the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s diversity eligibility criteria.
 
As our programming evolves, we seek programs that expand our listeners’ experiences, knowledge, and inclusivity. We had several natural disasters that occurred throughout the State. We made it a priority to send reporters to and connect with partners in affected areas so voices and viewpoints of individuals from areas affected could be shared with listeners throughout the State. They focused on the story of the people, their beliefs, and sense of community, rather than on just the event occurring at the time.
 
Diversity was also a priority in the selection of new Board of Directors and Community Advisory Board members. As in the selection of staff, the selection of new directors and CAB members reflect diversity in gender, race, age, and life experiences. Having members on the Board of Directors and Community Advisory Board from the major Neighbor Islands, helps us establish and maintain a connection with the neighbor islands and their respective communities. The station’s first neighbor island elected board chair began her term in July 2019. She is the fifth woman to serve as the Chair of Hawaii Public Radio’s Board of Directors.
 
Connecting with our younger audience is another goal of HPR.  Generation Listen continues to engage and connect with younger listeners. It is run by volunteers with support from HPR.
 
Bill Dorman, News Director of Hawaii Public Radio, highlights, in a memo, the impact diversity has on news coverage at HPR. Much of what he describes applies to the station as a whole. Two excerpts from
his memo follow. He states “At Hawaii Public Radio, our news staff combines birthplaces from Honolulu to Hilo and from New York City to the California coast. Ethnic backgrounds include representations of Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Irish, Jewish and other cultures, as well as a whole lot of mixing. And in that sense we truly represent the community we cover.” When we look at the station as a whole, the cultures, ethnic back grounds, and birth places are even more diverse. Bill ends his memo with “There is a Hawaiian word called “kuleana,” which is sometimes defined as “personal responsibility” or “obligation.” But it also includes an element of privilege within that responsibility – and for our newsroom, that includes the feeling that we are privileged to take responsibility for the coverage of everyone in our community – and to reflect the rich diversity not only in the specifics of our daily reporting, but also in the spirit that we bring to that coverage.” This too, is an understanding that is embraced by the station’s staff, management and board of directors.
 
In the upcoming year, HPR will continue to include qualified diverse individuals as candidates for job openings, internships, senior leadership positions, its community advisory board, and its board of directors. It will also report its progress toward meeting its diversity goals to its board of directors or a committee of the board of directors annually.