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Wading through the truths,
half-truths and outright lies

THE Honolulu Community-Media Council may tap a nerve Nov. 15 when it hosts a "Technology & Digital Journalism" forum with three writers who ply their trade online.

Ryan Ozawa, an advocate of personal publishing familiar to Hawaii message-board surfers; former Honolulu Advertiser columnist Burt Lum; and Malia Zimmerman, a former Pacific Business News reporter-turned president of HawaiiReporter.com, will discuss the impact that Web authors, or "bloggers," have had on the public. One of the questions they will be asked to address is "How does a reader sift the real from the too-easily fabricated?"

A roiling boil of blogger-caused controversy this election season has pitted bloggers, or Web-loggers, against journalists, according to journalism industry trade publications.

Some bloggers' writings have inflamed partisan passions and raised questions as to why the "mainstream media" hasn't reported on the same topics. Sometimes the working press has jumped on stories sparked by bloggers -- sometimes grudgingly. Often there is simply no "story."

Some journalists are bloggers, but not all bloggers are journalists, who are held to the canons of responsibility, independence, sincerity, truthfulness and accuracy, impartiality, fair play and decency. The canon of freedom of the press is the best-known and most-used and -abused.

Reservations for the Media Council luncheon may be made to Holly Green, by phone at 748-0880 or e-mail at hc-mc@verizon.net.

Save those stubs!

Volcano Joe's Island Bistro in Honolulu is offering discounts to civic-minded folks who have appetites. The restaurant will award diners who bring in election ballot stubs a one-time, 30 percent discount on entrees through tomorrow.

"Given our location across the street from the University of Hawaii, we decided this was the best way we could encourage students and other citizens to be sure to get out and vote," said Les Iczkovitz, co-owner.

Many Manoa neighboring residents can use some respite from the backbreaking work of flood recovery. The restaurant, at the corner of University Avenue and Metcalf Street, is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays.

Votes are in

The Zagat Survey's 2005 America's Top Restaurant Guide and 2005 Top U.S. Hotels, Resorts & Spas Guide contain reasons for Hawaii businesses to crow.

Alan Wong's is listed as Honolulu's top restaurant, with a food rating of 28 out of a possible 30.

And Zagat's top 10 resorts with 100 or more rooms include three from Hawaii: the Four Seasons Hualalai on the Big Island, the Four Seasons at Wailea on Maui and the Lodge at Koele on Lanai. Its top-rated newcomers include the Princeville Resort on Kauai, at No. 5.

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