''The Honolulu Advertiser'' was a daily
newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, spor ...
published in
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the isla ...
, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily
newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, spor ...
in the
American state of
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
. It published daily with special Sunday and
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, p ...
editions. ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' was the parent publisher of ''Island Weekly'', ''Navy News'', ''Army Weekly'', ''Ka Nupepa People'', ''West Oahu People'', ''Leeward People'', ''East Oahu People'', ''Windward People'', ''Metro Honolulu People'', and ''Honolulu People'' small, community-based newspapers for the public.
''The Honolulu Advertiser'' has had a succession of owners since it began publishing in 1856 under the name the ''Pacific Commercial Advertiser''. On February 25, 2010,
Black Press, which owned the ''
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
The ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' was a daily newspaper based in Honolulu, Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the second largest daily newspaper in the state of Hawaii (after the ''Honolu ...
'', purchased ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' from
Gannett Pacific Corporation, which acquired the ''Advertiser'' in 1992 after it had sold the ''Star-Bulletin'' to another publisher that later sold it to Black Press in 2000. On May 3, 2010, a new company set up by Black Press, HA Management, took over operations of the ''Advertiser'' and merged it with the ''Star-Bulletin'' on June 7, 2010, to form the ''
Honolulu Star-Advertiser
The ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser'' is the largest daily newspaper in Hawaii, formed in 2010 with the merger of ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' and the ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' after the acquisition of the former by Black Press, which already owned the ...
''.
History
Henry M. Whitney
Businessman and son of
Congregational
Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
missionaries
A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
, Henry M. Whitney founded the ''Pacific Commercial Advertiser'' in 1856, a weekly newspaper that was circulated primarily in the
whaling
Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution.
It was practiced as an organized industr ...
port of
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the isla ...
. The inaugural edition was published on July 2 of that year with this statement from Whitney:
Thank Heaven, the day at length has dawned when the Hawaiian nation can boast a free press, untrammeled by government patronage or party pledges, unbiased by ministerial frowns or favors.
The biggest story in the first edition was a report on the wedding of
Kamehameha IV
Kamehameha IV (Alekanetero ʻIolani Kalanikualiholiho Maka o ʻIouli Kūnuiākea o Kūkāʻilimoku; anglicized as Alexander Liholiho) (February 9, 1834 – November 30, 1863), reigned as the fourth monarch of Hawaii under the title ''Ke Aliʻi ...
and
Queen Emma. However, the front page was devoted almost exclusively to
advertisement
Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...
s. Throughout the paper, Whitney posted fifty-two advertisements for sailing ships in port at Honolulu Harbor with three hundred vessel timetables. In 1870, Whitney went broke and was forced to sell the ''Commercial Advertiser'' to James Black and William Auld, local printers. Whitney stayed on as the newspaper's editor.
Claus Spreckels
In 1880, Black and Auld sold the ''Pacific Commercial Advertiser'' to cabinet minister
Walter M. Gibson
Walter Murray Gibson (March 6, 1822 – January 21, 1888) was an American adventurer and a government minister in the Kingdom of Hawaii prior to the kingdom's 1887 constitution.
Early life
Gibson was generally thought to be born March 6, 1822 ...
, who was generally under financial control of
Claus Spreckels
Adolph Claus J. Spreckels (July 9, 1828 – December 26, 1908) (his last name has also been misspelled as Spreckles) was a major industrialist in Hawai'i during the kingdom, republican and territorial periods of the islands' history. He also i ...
.
John Edward Bush John Bush may refer to:
Music
* Johnny Bush (1935–2020), American country music singer
*John Bush (singer) (born 1963), American metal vocalist for Armored Saint and Anthrax
Public life
* John Bush (English politician), MP for Cambridge 1411 an ...
, who was minister of the interior at the time, arranged for a government loan, and a guarantee of all government printing contracts.
Vehemently opposed to Spreckels' conservative and pro-monarchy political stance, Whitney, as a devout annexationist, resigned as editor. In his place,
Wallace Rider Farrington, future
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of the
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory ( Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 30, 1900, until August 21, 1959, when most of its territory, excluding ...
, arrived from
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...
to become the new editor. Spreckels' royalist slant in his editorial articles were deplored by many of the American businessmen residing in Hawaii at the time. Revenue suffered as a result, forcing Spreckels to eventually sell the ''Pacific Commercial Advertiser''.
Lorrin A. Thurston and Son
In 1888, Spreckels sold his newspaper to the Hawaiian Gazette Company. It in turn sold the newspaper in 1898 to
Lorrin A. Thurston. Thurston was organizer of the
Hawaiian League, which had forced
King Kalākaua to agree to the "
Bayonet Constitution" of 1887 backed by the
Honolulu Rifles armed
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
, and make Thurston a cabinet minister. The 1887 constitution stripped the monarchy of most authority, took away many rights of
native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands.
Hawa ...
to vote in elections, and granted voting rights to American residents, even those who did not have citizenship in the kingdom. Thurston had been instrumental to the overthrow of the monarchy and the end of the existence of the
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ( Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the independent islan ...
.
In 1921, Thurston changed the name of the ''Pacific Commercial Advertiser'' to ''The Honolulu Advertiser''. The following year, Thurston hired Raymond S. Coll to be the newspaper editor. Coll served in that capacity until his retirement in 1959.
In 1931, Lorrin P. Thurston took over his father's position as editor and president of ''The Honolulu Advertiser''. He would later become chairman of the Hawaii Statehood Commission. Upon Raymond Coll's retirement, Thurston hired George Chaplin, former editor of the military newspaper ''
Pacific Stars and Stripes
''Stars and Stripes'' is a daily American military newspaper reporting on matters concerning the members of the United States Armed Forces and their communities, with an emphasis on those serving outside the United States. It operates from insi ...
'', as the editor of ''The Honolulu Advertiser''. He would serve in this capacity for 28 years.
Thurston Twigg-Smith and George Chaplin
In 1961,
Thurston Twigg-Smith continued family ownership as he inherited ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' from his uncle. He remained publisher and president until 1986. With the coupling of Chaplin and Twigg-Smith, ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' shifted its political slant from a staunchly
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
pro-
Big Five newspaper to become a more moderate, racially progressive newspaper. Both were enormously influenced by the rising local
Chinese American
Chinese Americans are Americans of Han Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans along with their ancestors trace lineage from ...
,
Filipino American
Filipino Americans ( fil, Mga Pilipinong Amerikano) are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipinos and other Asian ethnicities in North America were first documented in the 16th century as slaves and prisoners on ships sailing to and from New ...
and
Japanese American
are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...
readership and worked to cater to these communities' news interests. In 1967, Twigg-Smith formed the Persis Corporation (known as Asa Hawaii Corporation until 1978) as the ''Advertisers parent company.
Gannett Pacific Corporation
In 1992, ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' was purchased by the Gannett Pacific Corporation, a subsidiary of Gannett Company Incorporated.
It became the first morning edition publication in Gannett's corporate history. The company had already owned Honolulu's other major newspaper, the ''
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
The ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' was a daily newspaper based in Honolulu, Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the second largest daily newspaper in the state of Hawaii (after the ''Honolu ...
'', since 1973. From 1962 to 2001, both dueling newspapers were administered under a
joint operating agreement under which they shared printing and advertising operations but kept separate editorial staff and printing functions. The agreement ended when the ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' was sold to a separate company.
Acquisition by Black Press and merger
On February 25, 2010,
Black Press, which owned the ''
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
The ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' was a daily newspaper based in Honolulu, Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the second largest daily newspaper in the state of Hawaii (after the ''Honolu ...
'', purchased ''The Honolulu Advertiser''. As part of the deal to acquire the ''Advertiser'', Black Press agreed to place the ''Star-Bulletin'' on the selling block. If no buyer came forward by March 29, 2010, Black Press started making preparations to operate both papers through a transitional management team and then combine the two dailies into one.
On March 30, 2010, three parties came forward with offers to buy the ''Star-Bulletin'', but a month later on April 27, 2010, the bids were rejected because their bids for the ''Star-Bulletin'' was below the minimum liquidation price. Black Press canceled the sale as a result and proceeded with transition plans, which came on the same day that they were approved to take over the ''Advertiser'' by the Department of Justice.
On May 3, 2010, a new company set up by Black Press, HA Management, took over the operations of the paper while Black Press continued overseeing the Star-Bulletin during a 30- to 60-day transition period, in which both papers merged into one daily, ''The Honolulu Star-Advertiser''. The ''Advertiser'' published its final edition at 12:01 AM on June 6, 2010,
and Black Press officially launched the Honolulu Star-Advertiser as a broadsheet morning daily on June 7, 2010.
The newspaper will be based out of the former ''Star-Bulletin'' offices at Restaurant Row and published at the former ''Advertiser'' printing facilities in Kapolei. A total of 474 staffers are employed at the daily, 265 from the ''Advertiser'' and 209 from ''Star-Bulletin''. The fonts still use the "Star-Bulletin" masthead but with "Advertiser" replacing the "Bulletin" name.
Advertiser Building
''The Honolulu Advertiser'' staff occupied the Advertiser Building on 605 Kapiolani Boulevard in
downtown Honolulu
Downtown Honolulu is the current historic, economic, and governmental center of Honolulu, the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is bounded by Nuuanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the n ...
up until its last day of business on June 4, 2010 and the final pressing of its June 6, 2010 issue. It was built in 1929 by the architectural firm Emory & Webb in the
beaux arts style. From the 1930s through the 1950s the building's roof sported two radio towers with the transmitting antenna of
AM radio station KGU strung between them.
Although Gannett sold the Advertiser in May 2010, the building that housed the newspaper will not be for sale as it is expected to be sold to a different party in the future. Employees and staff have since moved over to the "Star-Advertiser" offices at Restaurant Row and to the Kapolei facility, leaving the building vacant except for a small crew that will remove most of the equipment and items in preparation for its sale.
The Advertiser Building is also used as a soundstage and houses small studios for ''
Hawaii Five-0''.
References
Further reading
*
External links
Official websiteIssues of ''The Pacific Commercial Advertiser'' (from July 2, 1856 to December 29, 1883) predecessor of ''The Honolulu Advertiser'', o
Chronicling America
{{DEFAULTSORT:Honolulu Advertiser, The
Defunct newspapers published in Hawaii
Black Press
Mass media in Honolulu
Publications established in 1856
Publications disestablished in 2010
1856 establishments in Hawaii
2010 disestablishments in Hawaii