STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3578

Honolulu, Hawaii

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.

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) Amending its title in accordance with its amended purpose.

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,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair