In a partnership that celebrates the language and culture of Hawaii, NMG Network and the Kīnāʻole Foundation are collaborating to create longform editorial content and short films in ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language).
The partnership, which is supported by FLUX Hawai‘i, marks a continued commitment to producing content in ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, after NMG initially enlisted the support of Google News Lab to hire the first Hawaiian-language editor in contemporary media in late 2021.
The articles produced in ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i will be translated into English and published in the pages of FLUX Hawai‘i magazine twice a year, as well as on a dedicated section of FLUXHawaii.com.
Along with Kīnāʻole, NMG will also produce short documentary-style films based on each editorial feature, with select interviews conducted in ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i. The films will debut on FLUX TV and make their inflight premiere on Hawaiian Airlines, reaching a wider audience.
“This partnership truly embraces ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i storytelling in ways that go beyond the word of the day, and help elevate the language across all platforms,” said Marc Graser, Vice President of Global Brand Storytelling for NMG Network.
For Tautua Howell-Reed, Chairman of the Kīnāʻole Foundation, the partnership is an opportunity to showcase what he calls “Returning Aloha,” which is the ability of a generation to carry on a tradition to the next generation and beyond.
“Each and every one of us has a legacy that we leave behind that paves the way for the next generation,” Howell-Reed said. “The goal is to continue to develop new paths, new avenues of expression for our youth that may not have been available to us.”
N. Ha‘alilio Solomon, an instructor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa at the Hālau ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi ʻo Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language and a translator with Awaiaulu and Hoʻopulapula, is the Hawaiian-language editor for FLUX Hawai‘i. Matthew Dekneef oversees the program as Editor at Large for NMG Network.
The Kīnāʻole Foundation is a Native Hawaiian nonprofit corporation that principally benefits Native Hawaiians through educational and business development activities and programs. Kīnāʻole in Hawaiian translates to “doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time, in the right place, to the right person, for the right reason, with the right feeling — the first time!”
NMG Network, which was launched from small beginnings in Honolulu in 2009, has grown to become an Emmy-award winning media company that creates targeted and curated networks reaching ideal customers in luxury hotels and residences, in-flight entertainment, and digital experiences that share the culture of communities.
