Understanding The News

Behind The Story

Civil Beat: How Profiling A Candidate For UH President Turned Up A Serious Complaint David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

Civil Beat: How Profiling A Candidate For UH President Turned Up A Serious Complaint

Wendy Hensel says Civil Beat got the facts wrong about a law professor’s accusations. But what she’s not telling you is how the professor came to file the complaint in the first place.

Why Is No One Really Listening To What The Westside Is Saying? Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Why Is No One Really Listening To What The Westside Is Saying?

City and state officials have been talking about helping West Oahu residents and business for decades. So why are things worse than ever?

The FBI Continues To Stall On Releasing Hawaii Lawmakers’ Bribery Investigations

The FBI Continues To Stall On Releasing Hawaii Lawmakers’ Bribery Investigations

Civil Beat has been trying to get the investigative files on public officials convicted of bribery for more than a year.

What To Expect When You Submit A Community Voice Screenshot/2024

What To Expect When You Submit A Community Voice

Fairness and accuracy are important in this highly popular section. Here’s how to do it and what to keep in mind.

If Electronic Monitoring Is Going To Expand In Hawaii, There Needs To Be Better Public Data Provided: Sentinel Offender Services

If Electronic Monitoring Is Going To Expand In Hawaii, There Needs To Be Better Public Data

We don’t know much about how electronic monitoring operates in the state and the raw numbers are only part of the story.

A Civil Beat Reporter Stumbled On Boxes Of Hawaii Letters Stored Away, Unseen, Since The 1800s Kirstin Downey/Civil Beat/2024

A Civil Beat Reporter Stumbled On Boxes Of Hawaii Letters Stored Away, Unseen, Since The 1800s

The fragile and fragmented records of sailors, travelers and other adventurers who died in Hawaii are the basis for our new series.

Civil Beat Could Take To The Airwaves. Tell Us — And The FCC — What You Think Wikimedia Commons/Joe Haupt

Civil Beat Could Take To The Airwaves. Tell Us — And The FCC — What You Think

We’re constantly looking for ways to get people engaged with the community.

Civil Beat: Our Maui Fire Coverage Is Just Beginning Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2023

Civil Beat: Our Maui Fire Coverage Is Just Beginning

We are staffing up on Maui and creating a permanent bureau that will remain deeply committed to the community and all it faces going forward.

‘The Lives We Lost’ Tells A Different Story About The People Who Died In Lahaina David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

‘The Lives We Lost’ Tells A Different Story About The People Who Died In Lahaina

Most of the stories about the people who perished in the Aug. 8 fire have focused on the circumstances of their death. We want to write about their lives.