Kyiv Independent wins 2026 Online Journalism Award for innovation in revenue strategy
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The Kyiv Independent has won a 2026 Online Journalism Award for Innovation in Revenue Strategy in the Medium Newsroom category, recognizing a membership model that keeps the newsroom's reporting free to read while inviting readers to sustain it.
The award was announced on Sept. 3 by the Online News Association during this year's virtual awards ceremony.
The judges praised the Kyiv Independent for building "an authentic and transparent membership model around a powerful principle: keeping independent journalism freely accessible during wartime," pointing to its membership growth alongside real-time reporting from a war zone, and its commitment to listening to readers through its Discord community, live events, and newsletters.
The award recognizes the Kyiv Independent's reader revenue results in 2025: membership grew 78% over the year, from 14,300 members at the end of 2024 to 25,500 by December 2025. Monthly recurring revenue rose 69% over the same period while average monthly churn held at 1.64% — below common industry benchmarks — and nearly 90% of members rated their experience 4 or 5 out of 5 in the newsroom's member survey.
Currently, Kyiv Independent has a community of over 35,000 paying members.
"We are proud of this recognition of our reader revenue work, and we owe it to our members. They are the reason a free-to-read newsroom in a country at war can pay its own way," said Zakhar Protsiuk, chief operating officer of the Kyiv Independent.
Reader support made up about 70% of Kyiv Independent’s funding in 2025.
At the core of the model is a simple principle: in a country at war, quality information must stay free and accessible to everyone. Rather than putting reporting behind a paywall, the Kyiv Independent invites readers to become partners in sustaining it — not subscribers, but part of a global community built around a shared cause.
It is the Kyiv Independent's second consecutive Online Journalism Award in this category, following the 2025 award for building a sustainable business model during wartime.
The Kyiv Independent's growth is driven by the community behind it. Consider becoming a member or making a donation to help us keep covering Ukraine's story.
