STAND. COM. REP. NO. 397^
Honolulu, Hawaii
APR fl 3 2024
RE: S.C.R. No. 155
S. D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2024
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.C.R.
No. 155 entitled:
"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII
PROFESSIONAL CHAPTER OF THE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL
JOURNALISTS TO ESTABLISH A PROCESS TO EVALUATE AND IDENTIFY
SOURCES OF NEWS THAT ADHERE TO ETHICAL AND OBJECTIVE
JOURNALISTIC STANDARDS TO HELP THE PUBLIC DISTINGUISH THOSE
THAT MAY PROLIFERATE MISINFORMATION,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the
Hawaii Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional
Journalists to establish a process to evaluate and identify
sources of news that adhere to ethical and objective journalistic
standards to help the public distinguish those that may
proliferate misinformation.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from CARES.
Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this
measure from eight individuals.
Your Committee received comments on this measure from All
Hawaii News and two individuals.
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 STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Page 2
Your Committee finds that the Society of Professional
Journalists and objective news adhere to a code of ethics and
journalistic standards that can ensure objective reporting, truth,
and prevent the spread of misinformation. Your Committee further
finds that the proliferation of social media has enabled some
organizations and individuals with broad reach presenting
themselves as news sources to intentionally or inadvertently
spread misinformation, making it difficult for the average person
to distinguish truth from fiction. Your Committee believes that
the Hawaii Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional
Journalists has a responsibility to ensure that information is
reported with accuracy and objectivity in accordance with ethical
standards. This measure will help arm the public with a means to
distinguish between truth and misinformation.
Your Committee notes that the intent of this measure is to
request the Hawaii Professional Chapter of the Society of
Professional Journalists to develop a process an individual can
use to separate fact from fiction, not a list of approved and
disapproved news sources.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Replacing language that would have requested the Hawaii
Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional
Journalists to establish a process to evaluate and
identify sources of news that adhere to ethical and
objective journalistic standards to help the public
distinguish those that may proliferate misinformation
with language requesting the Chapter to recommend a
process that individuals can utilize to evaluate and
identify whether or not news sources adhere to ethical
and objective standards;
(2) Inserting language requesting the Hawaii Professional
Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists to
submit a report of its findings and recommendations to
the Legislature no later than forty days prior to the
convening of the Regular Session of 2025; and
(3) TXmending its title in accordance with its amended
purpose.
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 STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Page 3
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 155,
as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form
attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 155, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on
behalf of the members of the
Committee on Judiciary,
KARL RHOADS, Chair
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 The Senate
Thirty-Second Legislature
State of Hawaii
Record of Votes
Committee on Judiciary
JDC
Bill / Resolution No.:* Committee Referral: Date:
SOR- 155
__ The Committee is reconsidering its previous decision on this measure.
If so, then the previous decision was to: ______________________________________
The Recommendation is: __ /
__ Pass, unamended Pass, with amendments __ Hold __ Recommit
2312 2311________________ 2310_________ 2313
Members Aye/ Aye (WR) Nay Excused
RHOADS, Karl (C)
GABBARD, Mike (VC)
ELEFANTE, Brandon J.C.
SAN BUENAVENTURA, Joy A.
AWA, Brenton
----- * _
TOTAL
Recommendation: /
LVf Adopted __ Not Adopted
ig^^^^p^t u re:
Distributioniy^ Original Yellow Pink Goldenrod
File with Committee Report Clerk's Office Drafting Agency Committee File Copy
*Only one measure per Record of Votes
Revised: 11/30/22