This blog usually saves introspection for the end of the year, or when we get something wrong and need to make a correction.
But occasionally, there’s a chance to pause for good news. This is one of those times.
Three recent developments—two recognitions and one digital comeback—give Politics Hawaii a reason to reflect and celebrate.
Three different developments have come about that this blog would like to share with its readers. Two of them are recognizing it for things published or how they are received, and one is about how this publisher was able to resurrect a Facebook site dedicated to promoting this blog.
PC: PHwSF
Let’s go to the recognition stuff first.
First, an unexpected nod from FeedSpot, an online aggregator that curates political news. On Memorial Day, I received an email from its founder, Anuj Agarwal:
“I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog Politics Hawaii has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 10 Hawaii Politics Blogs on the web. This is the most comprehensive list of its kind, and I’m honored to have you as part of this!”
For a growing independent publication, it’s notable. FeedSpot pulls content from local heavyweights like the Star-Advertiser, Civil Beat, and fellow blogger Ian Lind—so being in that mix feels significant.
They even created a badge we’ll be proudly displaying on the site.
For this blog, this is a big deal. FeedSpot has been a growing aggregator in the world of online publishing and highlighting independent publications. Another one that is doing this is All Hawaii News, which also links articles that are written on the website to theirs. I noted that FeedSpot was mentioned by Julian Vasquez in his resume, who was one of two candidates for President of the University of Hawaii.
And when you get mentioned at that level, that is when it goes from novelty to “kinda a big deal”.
Second, Politics Hawaii has submitted six nominations for journalism awards this year. These include individual articles, a series on the October 2024 shutdown of SMS Research and Marketing (submitted for the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism), and even some of our headline work.
It’s the second year we’ve entered, and last year we were honored with first place for Best 1-Person Features Blog / 1-Person Online Features Site (2023).
This year’s winners will be announced on July 30—stay tuned.
Lastly, some good news on the social media front.
Back in 2019, Politics Hawaii launched a dedicated Facebook page to separate blog content from my feed. It was a space to share blog posts and other relevant stories that shape local politics.
That worked well—until April 5, my birthday. A hiccup in my Facebook account led to the Politics Hawaii page disappearing. I assumed it was lost.
But on May 30, while poking around my account, I found a way to bring it back—with all its content intact.
So here’s a shameless plug: check out the newly revived Politics Hawaii Facebook page, like and follow it, and stay current on Hawaii political developments.
Moments like these remind me why this blog exists—to contribute thoughtfully to Hawaii’s political conversation and connect with readers who care about what’s happening in our state. Thanks for sticking with Politics Hawaii, and here’s to what comes next.