The Kyiv Independent
 | |
| Format | Online |
|---|---|
| Editor-in-chief | Olga Rudenko |
| Chief executive officer | Daryna Shevchenko |
| Founded | November 11, 2021 |
| Language | English |
| City | Kyiv |
| Country | Ukraine |
| Website | Official website |
The Kyiv Independent is an English-language Ukrainian media outlet founded in 2021 by former staff of the Kyiv Post and media consultancy Jnomics Media.
Founding[edit]
In 2021, Kyiv Post staff were engaged in disputes with the newspaper's owner over editorial independence. The owner, construction tycoon Adnan Kivan, wanted to take full control of the newsroom that has always followed the principle of editorial independence, according to Kyiv Post's journalists. Kivan ultimately fired the newsroom staff; the publication went silent on November 8th.[1][2] (Kyiv Post paused publication but later resumed work with a new newsroom.)
Following this, the Kyiv Post's former editorial team established the Kyiv Independent on November 11th. The team of editors and journalists partnered with media managers from Jnomics Media, a consultancy based in Kyiv and London. The team unanimously chose Olga Rudenko, former deputy chief editor at the Kyiv Post, to lead the new publication as editor-in-chief. Daryna Shevchenko, partner at Jnomics Media, and Jakub Parusinski, managing partner at the consultancy, became CEO and CFO of a new company respectively. Both of them used to work at the Kyiv Post between 2011 and 2017.
The team launched its first editorial product, a daily newsletter "Ukraine Daily", on first day; the newsletter has been hitting subscribers’ inboxes five days a week ever since.
The Kyiv Independent was launched with the help of an emergency grant of $200,000 Canadian dollars provided by Canadian government through the European Endowment for Democracy.[3][4]
Donor funding as well as readers' revenue became the main sources of funding for the publication. In early February the publication started working with advertising and published first commercial pieces on its website. However, all the commercial operations have been cut off by Russia’s war against Ukraine and its economic impact.
Crowdfunding is an important source of funding for the outlet now;[2] by March 21 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Independent's GoFundMe campaign had reached over 1.4 million GBP.[5]
The Kyiv Independent has committed to being partially owned by its journalists and has said it will not "serve a rich owner or oligarch."[6]
As of March 2022[update], senior staff members at the Kyiv Independent include:
- Daryna Shevchenko - Chief Executive Officer
- Olga Rudenko - Editor-in-Chief
- Jakub Parusinski - acting Chief Financial Officer.[3][5]
- Oleksiy Sorokin - Chief Operating Officer and Political Editor[7]
Russian invasion of Ukraine[edit]
The Independent has been noted for its coverage and reporting during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[8][9][10] Following the invasion, the outlet saw their Twitter followers increase by over a million.[6][5] According to the outlet, two of its journalist have been held by Russian troops since the start of the invasion.[11]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Staff Of Shuttered English-Language Kyiv Post Launches New Media Project". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ a b "With Ukraine's Kyiv Post shut down, journalists launch new independent media outlet". Global Voices. 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ a b Cooper, Ann (2022-02-08). "Ukraine editor Olga Rudenko on starting Kyiv Independent as Russia amasses troops on border". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ MacKinnon, Mark (16 December 2021). "How the shuttering of the Kyiv Post fuelled a journalism rebirth in Ukraine". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- ^ a b c Abend, Lisa. "Ukrainian Journalists Are Fighting to Keep Their Country Informed". Time. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
- ^ a b Gomez, Dessi (March 1, 2022). "Kyiv Independent Site Surges From 20,000 Followers to 1.4 Million Since Russian Invasion". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
- ^ Kirby, Jen (2022-01-28). "Ukraine has more than Russia to worry about". Vox. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ Woodrow Cox, John; Shapira, Ian (28 February 2022). "Here's how Americans can donate to help people in Ukraine". The Washington Post.
- ^ Rizzo-Smith, Julian; Fry, Courtney (2022-02-25). "If You're Concerned About What's Happening In Ukraine, Here Are Some Ways You Can Help". Pedestrian TV. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ Mitchell, Nick (February 25, 2022). "A tribute to Novaya Gazeta, Kyiv Post - and all journalists working in Ukraine". www.nationalworld.com. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ Maruf, Ramishah (March 21, 2022). "How this Ukrainian news outlet is protecting its journalists". CNN. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
External links[edit]
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