NMG Network Expands Hawaiian Language Storytelling Initiative with Kīnāʻole Foundation

HONOLULU — NMG Network has partnered with the Kīnāʻole Foundation to celebrate and promote ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i through longform editorial and video storytelling via FLUX Hawai‘i.

The partnership marks the continued commitment of FLUX Hawai‘i to produce ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i content after NMG initially enlisted the support of Google News Lab to hire the first Hawaiian-language editor working in contemporary media in late 2021.

Articles are produced in ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i first and translated into English. They are published in the pages of FLUX Hawai‘i magazine twice a year, and on a dedicated section of FLUXHawaii.com, accessible to anyone here.

Together 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 to reach a larger audience.

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, serves as the Hawaiian-language editor for FLUX Hawai‘i. Matthew Dekneef oversees the program as Editor at Large for NMG Network.

An ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i feature was the most visited story on FLUXHawaii.com in 2022, making the early initiative an immediate success.

“We are thrilled to find a local partner in Kīnāʻole to truly embrace ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i storytelling in ways that go beyond the word of the day, and help elevate the language across all platforms,” says Marc Graser, VP of Global Brand Storytelling for NMG Network.

“One of the most important things I wanted to accomplish with this partnership was to showcase what I call ‘Returning Aloha,’” says Tautua Howell-Reed, Chairman of the Kīnāʻole Foundation. “When a generation is able to carry on a tradition to the next generation and beyond, that is Returning Aloha. By partnering with NMG Network, we can share the stories of today's generation in the language of our ancestors. Each and every one of us has a legacy that we leave behind that paves the way for the next generation. The goal is to continue to develop new paths, new avenues of expression for our youth that may have not been available to us.” 

About The Kīnāʻole Foundation

The Kīnāʻole Foundation is a Native Hawaiian nonprofit corporation controlled by native Hawaiians and its activities principally benefit Native Hawaiians through educational and business development activities and programs. Kīnāʻole in Hawaiian translates to in Old Hawai’i, if a professional, whether a craftsman, artist, priest, or official, performed a particular task in his line of work, it was expected to be done without defect or flaws.  Anything less was not acceptable. In operational terms, Kīnāʻole means: 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!

About NMG Network

NMG Network is proudly rooted in Hawaiʻi, while growing globally. Launched from small beginnings in Honolulu in 2009, NMG 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. For more information, please visit www.nmgnetwork.com .

Media Contact

Caroline Sweeney
Phone Number: 612-351-8690
Email: [email protected]

Websites: https://www.kinaolefoundation.org, www.nmgnetwork.com