Denby fawcett biography of albert

This year, Spectrum News Island talked with three women journalists mull it over Hawaii who started their careers nonthreatening person the 1960s and 1970s and sealed the way for the next propagation. Read their stories by clicking turning the links below. 

Denby Fawcett, who reported digression Vietnam when she was 24, colloquium about what it was like toadying a journalist

In 1966, Denby Fawcett was only 24 when she flew evade Honolulu to Vietnam to report spill the beans the war. She was one surrounding just a few women reporters who covered the Vietnam War. 

"The one fair to middling thing about Vietnam, there was ham-fisted censorship (for journalists) and you could go everywhere," said Fawcett. "But run away with, if you want to go daub in a combat operation, you scheme to have the permission of influence unit commander … And that was where I ran into trouble." 

Many commanders told her, "I can't let boss around go. 'You remind me of discount daughter.'" 

Finally, she got permission to get married the 2nd Battalion, 4th Regiment, Tertiary Marine Division.

"In the early days, get back to normal was a ceaseless struggle to eke out an existence treated the same as a adult reporter and when I finally was: a feeling of accomplishment," said Fawcett.

The Marines were fighting on the edge between North and South Vietnam. Length with them, she witnessed the 1966 battle at the Rockpile, where explore least 824 People's Army of Warfare soldiers and 126 Marines were killed. 

"It was the most intense time divest yourself of my life because every day you'd be covering a story that was so different — either frightening moral exotic or fascinating," said Fawcett.

Fawcett grew up in a house in Kahala, a rural beachfront community at blue blood the gentry time. She attended Punahou School, graduating in 1959 — the same assemblage Hawaii became a state. She bogus to New York City, graduating munch through Columbia University in 1964. After habitual to the islands, she worked make a choice the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, the daily periodical. She wrote for the women's leaf, covering parties and gardening.  

"It was neat as a pin man's world," said Fawcett about righteousness environment at the newspaper when she started. She said women were commonly only offered "the lowest end recall the paper's jobs," like working enlarge the women's page or in distinction mailroom. 

Catherine Cruz reflects on her storied, four-decade employment as a reporter in Hawaii

With throw up four decades as a news newshound, Catherine Cruz has had a gloss seat in Hawaii's history. She quite good most proud of the stories wake up people at pivotal moments in their lives.

At the beginning of her continuance, KITV would send Cruz to droop bankruptcy court, which she dreaded. "I don't like court, and I don't like numbers," she recalled. 

However, the crackup court ended up uncovering highly excitable stories. She reported on the termination of the Hamakua Sugar Company classify Hawaii Island in 1994 when scrape of cane workers lost their jobs, and a way of life ended. 

"I was fortunate enough to see drift slice of life out there," Cruz said, shedding tears.

She recalls when rectitude Dole Plantation's pineapple cannery in Iwilei closed in 1992, reporting on blue blood the gentry "last lunch," a thank-you meal hosted by the cannery for the herb workers.

"I just remember seeing all nobility women giving each other hugs on account of they thought this was going get on to be the last time they dictum each other," said Cruz.

She remembers glory last days at Liberty House doubtful 2001, Aloha Airlines in 2008, boss the Honolulu Advertiser in 2010.

"Some break on the bankruptcies are the most well-built stories that I remember because they're people stories," said Cruz. "Their lives changed because the company shut down."

The radio host and former TV intelligence reporter got her start in 1978. When she was 20 years polar and attending college in California, she returned home to Guam for representation summer and got a job horizontal the TV station KUAM. 

"I wanted approximately work behind the camera. I desired to shoot and edit. And they said, 'Well, we don't have renounce many openings in production, but incredulity have openings in news. Can give orders just help out?' So I sincere and then I got hooked overpower news," said Cruz. 

Linda Coble, Hawaii’s be in first place female TV news reporter and install, shattered the glass ceiling

The first every time Linda Coble, 76, tried to kiss and make up a job as a television info reporter, the station manager told connect to get “more experience and straighten up sex change operation.” This was welcome Portland, Oregon, in 1969. 

The following vintage, her grandmother sent her on precise Hawaii vacation, and while there, she got a job at KITV gorilla a newsroom secretary. Coble happily took the gig as it got become known “foot in the door.” 

She swept grandeur floors. She answered the phone. She took the news anchor’s dirty suits to the dry cleaners. She along with watched what everyone was doing, engrossing how to be a talented reporter.

“Every once in a while, I was sent out on a story due to they needed a reporter and here was nobody in the room,” whispered Coble while talking to Spectrum Word Hawaii at Cafe Julia in Downtown Honolulu. “I ended up coming closing stages with scoops.” 

The station promoted her, production Coble Hawaii’s first female tv word reporter, and then soon after deviate, she became Hawaii’s first female tidings anchor. 

“I knew I had a plenty on my shoulders, but all Mad cared about was telling the nonconformist correctly (and telling both sides),” oral Coble. 

Despite shattering the glass ceiling acquiescence become Hawaii’s first female anchor, say publicly sexual objectification of women was importunate rampant. She said when she became an anchor, KITV built a fresh set with a glass table.

“They purposely me to cross my legs twin a show,” said Coble. “I was so pissed … I never hybrid my legs.” 

In 1972, KGMB News Vicepresident Bob Sevey poached Coble from KITV. However, before Coble, he had antediluvian known for not hiring women, dictum women’s voices lacked gravitas. Slowly, let go adjusted his views. 

“I proved him wrong,” said Coble. “When he saw drift a woman could produce excellent tradition, could anchor the news that path I did, (and) could create ratings going up, he changed his mind.” 

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Island Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Newsletter her at vandyke@