The Kyiv Independent has built an authentic and transparent membership model around a powerful principle: keeping independent journalism freely accessible during wartime. Judges were impressed by the team’s remarkable membership growth while continuing to deliver real-time reporting from a war zone, as well as its clear commitment to listening to readers through offerings like its Discord community, live events and additional newsletters. Its combination of mission, community engagement and measurable growth demonstrates how a strong relationship with readers can sustain essential journalism.
The Kyiv Independent is Ukraine’s leading English-language news outlet, founded in 2021 by journalists committed to editorial independence and press freedom. Operating under the constant threat of war, the newsroom has built one of the most trusted international sources of journalism from Ukraine. In 2025, our reader revenue program became a defining model of how independent media can sustain itself through community, not paywalls.
The Kyiv Independent’s membership program is built on a foundational principle: in times of war, quality information must remain free and accessible to everyone. Rather than restricting content, the newsroom invites readers to become active partners in sustaining independent journalism. When becoming members of the Kyiv Independent, readers join a cause and a global community. This mission-driven framing, combined with tangible benefits, drove extraordinary results in 2025.
Membership grew 78% over twelve months, from 14,300 members at the end of 2024 to 25,500 by year’s end. Monthly recurring revenue increased 69%, from $123,200 in January to $210,000 in December. Average monthly churn held at just 1.64% (well below industry benchmarks) and nearly 90% of members rated their experience 4 or 5 out of 5. Reader support accounted for approximately 70% of total revenue in 2025, with membership representing 50.4%.
The Kyiv Independent’s model demonstrates that reader revenue built on transparency, community agency, and editorial integrity can not only sustain a newsroom through wartime, it can grow it. This entry represents a holistic, organization-wide commitment to reader revenue as both a financial strategy and a mission-driven practice of building bridges between Ukraine and the world.
