Molokai Island Times
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The Molokai Island Times was founded in 2005 by Brennan Purtzer (a journalism graduate of
California State College at Chico), in partnership with Dennis Williams, the English
cousin of McAfee anti-virus magnate John McAfee (who owned a sizable
property on the island). McAfee money thus provided the start-up funding for what was
publicised as an impartial, unbiased newspaper serving the Molokai community,
but which in fact initially seemed to have been established for another purpose.
Despite the fact that the island of 7,500 souls already had two long-established
comnmunity papers ('The Molokai Dispatch',and the oldest newspaper on the island
the 'Molokai Advertiser News'), it was quite apparent to most observers on the island
that the Molokai Island Times conveniently served John McAfee as
a 'friendly' news source for airing McAfee's side of the highly divisive issue that
arose from his decision to sell his extensive Molokai property on the lush
East End of the island. McAfee had contracted an agency that placed the
public sale announcement for the property in the classified section of the Wall Street
Journal. The subsequent description of the property in that ad as
being 'suitable for development' raised an immediate red flag among the island's
ever-vigilant preservation activists, who stand solidly against any perceived
commercial exploitation of the island. In the hotly contested public
outcry and contention that ensued, 'The Molokai Island Times' came into being.
Despite its somewhat partisan origins, over the past several years the Molokai Island
Times has become a rather good community newspaper that is seemingly well liked by the
island's residents. Along with local community and some national news coverage,
there is a range of interesting content to be found in its appealingly
formatted and well presented pages. According to its website, the newspaper's goal
was "to entertain while maintaining the utmost journalistic integrity",
and within that context it has seemingly succeeded quite well. The bold
declaration on every issue of the broadsheet publication was, "If it happens
here ... it's in here." In terms of being a visually pleasing news venue, it certainly
demonstrates a sense of admirable quality and competance.
Brennan Purtzer left Molokai to relocate back on the mainland in 2007 (well after
co-founder Darryl Williams also left the island), as a campaign worker for the
Dennis Kusinich presidential campaign. Since 2007 the newspaper has been
renamed 'The Molokai Times' and is owned and operated by Hawaiian
Pacific Media, LLC. The Molokai Times continues to provide news coverage
for the island of Molokai. The goal of the newspaper is stated to be to provide fair
and balanced coverage without bias.
In 2008, The Molokai Times was purchased by Lester Keanini and Eric Wong, Molokai-born n' raised Native Hawaiians who continue to operate the paper in an unbiased fashion.
More information on the somewhat stormy McAfee property issue that resulted in The
Molokai Times' origins may be found at the following URL:
http://mindcrumbs.gaia.com/blog/2006/8/not_as_friendly_molokai
