Hawai‘i Media Hub in DC
Media in our Nation's Capital
Washington DC is known as the media capital of the world. Almost every major country has a journalist stationed in DC. Donald Trump won the presidency twice because he skillfully used media in all its new forms. Many leaders in his new administration had previous careers in television and social media. The people running Washington today understand and value media. If you have important information to convey, it makes sense to use media.
Use media, as one of your methods.
If you're a Hawaii journalist, social media influencer, blogger, or represent an organization with something important to say to the federal government, we invite you to come to DC. When the stakes are this high, you don't want to depend on middlemen to speak on your behalf.
Located in the Center of Washington
Hub for Hawaii in DC
People from Hawai'i are creating a Hub for content creators to tell their stories. We are offering a comfortable place where you can meet and work with other people from our islands and talk story.
More importantly, you can receive guidance about the Trump administration and your federally funded programs.
Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle is a historic neighborhood known as "Embassy Row" because it has hundreds of embassies, and international restaurants. You can walk from Dupont Circle to the White House, the National Press Club, broadcast and cable networks, law firms, think tanks, and museums. Washington's Metro subway has a Dupont Circle station.
Dupont Circle Location
Our Media Hub is located in a private home owned by Gloria Borland. She purchased the property in 1989. Gloria grew up on Oahu and spent decades in media in Washington DC.
She is currently opening a new museum in Honolulu.
After January, many Hawaii programs were in jeopardy of federal cuts. Gloria wanted to help facilitate a dialogue for people in Hawai'i to tell their unique story 5,000 miles away.
She has a place in DC where travelers from Hawaii can research a federal agency, edit a video, make a podcast, and collaborate with others.
Embassy of Tribal Nations
Two blocks away from Gloria's place is the headquarters of the National Congress of American Indians and the Embassy of Tribal Nations. Their complex is located in an embassy-sized townhouse representing Native Americans and Alaska Natives. Tenants include the National Indian Education Association and the Native American Rights Fund.
With a short 5 minute walk, Native Hawaiians working from our Media Hawaii-Hub can meet face-to-face with leaders from the Embassy of Tribal Nations and form alliances to protect their mutual federal programs. Many Tribal Nations are located in red states that voted for Trump.
The Native Hawaiian Centers on campus at UH Manoa, at JABSOM, at UH Hilo, were created and federally funded around the same time as other Native centers in Alaska, Oklahoma, and Arizona.
Queen Lili'uokalani stayed here
Queen Lili'uokalani stayed here
One block over is the old Cairo Hotel (now condos) where Queen Lili'uokalani stayed while trying to see President Cleveland.
The Queen lived in Dupont Circle for about five months in 1897. To learn more about her stay read the magazine article below.
One Dupont Circle Building
Queen Lili'uokalani stayed here
Above our subway stop is One Dupont Circle, which holds the National Center for Higher Education, the American Council on Education and the American Association of Community Colleges.
Also close by is the National Geographic Society, the Sierra Club, the National Wildlife Federation, and the World Wildlife Fund's US Headquarters.
There are over 2,000 national associations with their headquarters in Washington.
Federal Agencies
Most Federal Agencies are located near Metro Subway stations. From the Dupont Circle station you can easily reach the National Institute of Health in Bethesda and other agencies throughout the metro area.
Trump folks hang out
A new french restaurant opened last fall on Capitol Hill in Steve Bannon's neighborhood. Trump staffers are frequently seen at Butterworth's restaurant. Don Junior is planning to open a new club in Georgetown next month.
ABOUT US: Making an Impact
Bringing Alaska & Hawaii to DC
Gloria Borland was born in Kodiak, Alaska and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. When Gloria was 27, she chaired a GALA Dinner at the National Press Club to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Statehood for Alaska and Hawaii in 1984. Most of the attendees were over 40. She brought Hawaiian and Alaskan culture to influential members of the Washington Press corps.
Invited to Testify to Congress
Invited to testify about PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Broadcast live on C-SPAN, PBS, NPR on January 20, 1995.
During the Clinton administration, conservatives wanted to cut federal funding for PBS and NPR. Gloria Borland testified as an Independent Producer.
Gloria Borland's 6 minute testimony is at 2:05:10 - 2:11:27
Magazine Publisher
At age 21, Gloria Borland started her first business publishing magazines. She was the youngest woman magazine publisher in the country, with Washington Travel Magazine. She then expanded up the East Coast with Philadelphia Travel Magazine and New York Travel Magazine. Gloria owned three magazines in three cities, reporting on travel industry news for travel agents. In her twenties she traveled around the world to over 50 countries writing about their tourism industry.
In her thirties she went into television.
Independent
Very few people get a seat at the table of a national presidential campaign. In 1992, Gloria Borland was Campaign Director in Washington DC for Independent Presidential candidate Ross Perot, a billionaire businessman from Texas.
She was the youngest woman of color at the highest level of a national presidential campaign.
Her primary responsibility was managing the unruly Washington political press corps and shaping the national and international stories for the Perot Presidential campaign.
The historic Independent Perot campaign attracted both Democrats and Republicans. Hamilton Jordan ran Jimmy Carter's campaign in 1976 and Ed Rollins led Ronald Regan's 1980 campaign, both worked for Perot.
The Perot campaign's general counsel told Gloria if she were 20 years older, he would be vetting her for Vice President.
Mom at 45
Mom at 45
When Gloria's daughter was a toddler the Washington Post exposed a coverup. The District of Columbia had lead poison in the city's drinking water. Lead causes brain damage to infants and young children. Gloria was invited to represent concerned parents and testify in front of the U.S. Senate Environment subcommittee. She gave a powerful presentation that motivated Senator Jeffords from Vermont to introduce a new federal program at the EPA to replace water pipes around the country. Gloria Borland was the catalyst for a $35 Billion EPA lead pipe replacement program.
Frustrated at the quality of public schools in DC, Gloria lead a group of 71 parents and they founded a new public charter school with Chinese Immersion. The elementary school opened in 2008 and has been operating for 17 years with a $13 million annual budget. The original idea for creating this unique charter school came from Gloria Borland.
Gloria also founded Dupont Circle Parents Listserv with an initial 50 subscribers. After 20 years the group has grown to over 1,500 parents.
Experience with National Press
National PBS TV Show
Gloria created, hosted, and produced a national television series that aired on 150 PBS stations around the country. Her show was broadcast on WNET in New York, KCET in Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta and other major markets.
The Wall Street Journal
Gloria Borland had the prestigious Wall Street Journal as her TV shows national underwriter from 1992-1994.
Washington Political Press
Perot Presidential Campaign.
Gloria Borland was interviewed for the Perot campaign by all major national and international news organizations.
National Press
Daily media coverage for the presidential campaign.
2025 Political Press
Gloria Borland's old colleagues have risen to the top of covering political news.
2025 White House coverage
Old mentor from the National Press Club, Llewellyn King still hosts the weekly "White House Chronicles" for 26 years.
Mentoring the next generation.
Mentoring the next generation.
Mentoring the next generation.
Gloria Borland believes it is important to share her experiences with the next generation. She is guiding Millennials and Gen-Zs on how to work with media in Washington DC.