Moktata iakwe im koṃṃoolol aolep. I am the Executive Editor for Chikin Melele News, a newspaper for Marshallese who live in the U.S. This year, Chikin Melele celebrates 5 years online, and I’m excited to kwaḷọk jidik in bwebwenato in.
The mission of the paper is to print and share news from all the communities where Marshallese live. We have correspondents reporting from Arkansas, the Marshall Islands, and Guam. I lived and worked in Majōl and I also speak Marshallese.
Chikin Melele was the idea of two Marshallese men living in Springdale, Arkansas who established the paper in print in 2015. They named it Chikin Melele for the Marshallese who work in the chicken factories in Arkansas.
In 2020, I started writing for the paper and helped move the paper online. From 2023, all rights to Chicken Melele were purchased and transferred to me. Still a small group of writers and translators, we are happy to announce and editorial advisory board with the start of 2026.
Our new logo, courtesy of Joor Interpretation Exchange and designed by Ronnie Riemers, represents how individual people in the community do so many things worth talking about and how people sharing information and news connects us as a people across the globe. As Carlton from our advisory board explained:
With all the chickens, it represents the people. Small chickens, in Marshallese called “tokki” or “jojo” is connected to the word “ri jojo-mar” as in the ones that keep the home or provide and protect information and the globe represents how information travels and reaches people all over the world.
Chikin Melele is guided by an Advisory Board that provides community-based advice and supports ethical journalism. The current board consists of Eldon Alik, Carlton Abon, Michael Mapa, Mina Langmos, and Olivia Paschal. We want to recognize them for their longstanding support, advice, and guidance over the years, though Chikin Melele retains its editorial independence.
We strive to follow established journalistic ethics, including accuracy, fairness, verification, and accountability, as taught in Mencher & Melvin’s News Reporting and Writing. Sponsored content is clearly identified and does not influence our editorial coverage.
I thank all of you for coming to Chikin Melele for information and stories from our communities.
Chikin Melele ej juon business eo edik ak mejen reiṃaanḷọk ko an reḷḷap:
Kōmej erreiṃaanḷọk ñan ad jipañ kajeeded elōñlok bwebwenato ko rej kakobaik kōjwōj ri Majōl jān ipeḷaakin lalin, ñan ad ṃōṇōṇō ippān doon kōn wōnṃaanḷọk kein an jukjukin pād kein im kalikkar news ko jān Micronesia.
Kōmej barāinwōt jipañ ro rej jeje kōn bwebwenato, jeje im ukok.
Chikin Melele – Jikin bōktok meḷeḷe ko ikijjien armej in Majōl, news im bwebwenato ko reṃool im jiṃwe ilo kajin Iñliij im Majōl.
