As a now former freelance writer for The Hawaii Herald, I was saddened, but not surprised, that the journal and its sister publication, The Hawaii Hochi, were shutting down (“Communities mourn closures of Hawaii Hochi, Hawaii Herald,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 12).
According to a 2022 New York Times article, a quarter of the 2,500 newspapers in the United States have closed since 2005. For The Hawaii Herald, which focuses on a specific audience, survival was a steep uphill battle.
The lack of interest from the younger generations of Japanese Americans contributed to its demise. Consuming news online, distraction from social media, Westernization and other factors contribute to loss of interest.
I suspect for the majority, it’s a life-stage issue. The hope is that online storytellers will create digital spaces to share stories about the Japanese American experience and keep the culture vibrant moving forward.
Dan Nakasone
Wahiawa
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