A shameless plug — for what should be an interesting program:

The Hawai‘i chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association, of which I’m a member, is sponsoring a panel discussion on the 2008 presidential elections tonight on PBS’s Island Insights.

WHAT: Political Panel Discussion on the 2008 Presidential Elections

WHERE: PBS Hawaii Island Insights, Ch.10

WHEN: Tonight, 7:30 p.m.

WHO: Panelists include Denby Fawcett, KITV; Richard Borreca and Laurie Au, Honolulu Star-Bulletin; and Treena Shapiro, The Honolulu Advertiser; Moderated by Dan Boylan.
Gina Mangieri, KHON-2; Brian Schatz, chair of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; and Willes Lee, chair of the Hawai‘i Republican Party will make guest video appearances. (Think CNN YouTube debate…. but without the snowman.)

UP FOR DEBATE: The 2008 primary race marked the first time in history that either an African American or a woman seemed poised to become the nominee for a major political party. But is that really the news? Have domestic and international issues taken a backseat to gender and race? Do race and gender affect the way the media covers presidential candidates? How can the media effectively cover the issues that are most important? How can Hawai‘i journalists localize the presidential election while avoiding bias toward Hawai‘i-born candidate Barack Obama?

Have questions for the panelists or comments about local media coverage? Email questions ahead of time (ie: before 7 p.m. tonight) to insights@pbshawaii.org.

If you’re busy tonight, catch the rebroadcast on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. This is a good chance to weigh in on local election coverage — what you like, and what you think should change.