Maui News selects two journalists for fellowship
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Two journalists living on Maui -- Yiming Fu and Allyson Whaley -- will give The Maui News a nice boost in its elections reporting this fall.
The announcement comes after a three-person panel selected Whaley and Fu for the inaugural Maui Nui Media and Creativity Collaborative Investigative Elections Reporting Fellowship.
The fellowship has been made possible by a $10,000 donation from Maui County-based journalist Ian Lind and Meda Chesney Lind in an effort to strengthen accountability in local elections, support emerging journalistic talent and give Maui County residents the information they need to engage in the democratic process.
The fellowship will fund seven weeks of original, investigative, print-first reporting focused on the candidates, issues and decisions shaping Maui County’s future in the mayoral and Maui County Council races.
"With The Maui News now under nonprofit ownership, it has given us the opportunity to shift our focus to a public-service mission, emphasizing in-depth reporting and coverage of issues important to Maui residents while fostering greater civic engagement throughout the community," said Axel Beers, board president of Maui Nui Media and Creativity Collaborative. "The Investigative Elections Reporting Fellowship is the first of many initiatives you'll see in the future as we work to inform, educate and empower the community of Maui."
The fellowship originally sought one fellow, but the selection panel enjoyed both Whaley’s and Fu's pitches. As a result, Whaley and Fu, who are both currently working full-time, agreed to split the fellowship and the workload.
Whaley has lived on Maui for five years after moving here with family. She graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in December 2025 with a degree in journalism and has experience in writing, interviewing and reporting for print and digital publications. Her work has appeared in Hawaii Business Magazine, Ka Leo News and The Mānoa Mirror at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, covering campus events, sustainability initiatives and local issues.
“Investigative journalism is the niche I hope to focus on. That is why this fellowship interests me," Whaley wrote in her application. “An investigative fellowship focusing on the community I live in and something I am passionate about would be a dream opportunity.”
Additionally, Fu is working as a Maui-based reporter for AsAm News, covering breaking news, Maui County Council, courts and community organizations.
Fu produced original feature articles on basketball, bookstores and youth jobs while working as a reporting intern covering urban life in Johannesburg, South Africa. Fu also worked as the city editor at The Daily Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois, in addition to filling the roles of city reporter, assistant city editor and print managing editor. He has experience in feature and news writing for print and radio journalism media outlets. He graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., with a degree in journalism and minor in Asian American Studies in June 2024.
Like Whaley, Fu also said he is interested in housing, rebuilding efforts in Lahaina and campaign financing. He also hopes expanded reporting will help promote voter turnout and enjoys giving a voice to underrepresented communities.
“Over the last two years, I've built a life on Maui documenting community needs after the Lahaina fires," Fu wrote in his application. “I've reported stories showing how Micronesian families need additional resources to navigate federal aid systems, stories amplifying how Filipino fire survivors benefit from culturally competent mental health services, and stories that reveal ways Maui County's wildfire risk reduction programs displace communities of homeless people. Throughout my reporting, I aimed to highlight what people needed and what solutions the community produced.”