For the past couple of years, journalists have faced growing financial and political pressure to adjust the tone and content of their writing. This week’s incident involving Forbes Ukraine, which removed a mention of President Viktor Yanukovych’s son from a ranking of shady public tender recipients, is a case in point.
The paper’s editor quickly pointed out that the links to Yanukovych Jr. were too tenuous to be published until further proof was found – an understandable explanation given the potential onslaught of legal headaches that would have followed if a crack in the story was found. But it is the reaction from other news outlets and theories about official pressure or hidden owners that shows just how rotten much of the media landscape has become. Another worrying case is the collapse of the last TV station that criticized the government, TVi, whose reputation and very existence was brought down in part by unclear ownership structures.
But while scandals easily grab headlines, it is the underlying trends that matter most. Anywhere you look you see a sector that no longer plays by market rules. For several weeks a new daily, Vesti, launched one the country’s largest print operations with an unsustainable model: copies are distributed free of charge by an army of foot soldiers with barely any ads of which to speak.
This is not the only such example. Relatively new business daily Kapital offers pricey Financial Times content that it translates yet has very few ads. Easily available free copies, in Kyiv, and a recommended price hidden on the back page suggest profits aren’t the main concern. Almost no publication in Ukraine survives without some form of subsidy, be it hidden or overt. For independent publications, this means competing against organizations that can pay bigger salaries, have better equipment and offer more services than economically justified.
In more ways than one, the Kyiv Post stands alone. Long dependent on a generous subsidy from the owner Mohammed Zahoor, we can now only spend what we earn. This has been a difficult transition, but not an impossible one.
Through hard choices and hard work from all those involved, the newspaper is now climbing out of the red. It can continue to do so with the support of the community, as long as it sticks to those three words written on each copy: Independence, Community, Trust.
This means the Kyiv Post will fiercely adhere to its editorial independence – both in choice of articles and staff – and will continue to serve the community by bringing objective, thoroughly researched, hard-hitting reporting. It also means taking the high road in the belief that those who value the ideals that Kyiv Post stands for – democracy, a rules-based economy, and a lawful, tolerant society – will help us persevere.
But the goal cannot be simple survival, it must be growth. To best provide our community with the information it needs the Kyiv Post is actively engaging with new media channels, and has already gathered an enthusiastic group of followers. Whether it is on social media like Facebook or Twitter, or through video podcasts on YouTube, Kyiv Post is producing and distributing ever more professional content. In the future, this will help reach new audiences, in addition to generating new streams of revenue.
It is easy to see why Ukraine needs independent and modern media in the long run that can survive under fair market conditions. It’s the short run that’s difficult. But I believe that with every outlet that closes or takes the easy path, the value of Kyiv Post will only increase – as will our determination to keep bringing Ukraine high-quality and honest news.
Jakub Parusinski is the editor-in-chief of Kyiv Post.
