Survival in Paradise: How “Local Identity” Helped save the Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Abstract

This study of the afternoon Honolulu Star-Bulletin after an announcement to shut it down in 1999 hypothesizes that the strong cultural connections between the paper and its Hawai'i community helped prevent its closure. A cultural approach to the study of this organization reveals the shared meaning and group identity of newsroom employees that were a product of the paper's history and community ties, and were illuminated during the crisis. Other scholars could use this approach to examine cultural connections between newspapers and diverse communities, particularly during times of change.