Editing Kyiv Post (section)

=== Ownership history ===
[[File:Kyiv Post new logo.jpg|thumb|Kyiv Post current logo since 2022]]
The ''Kyiv Post'' has only had three owners in its existence: Jed Sunden, an American; [[Mohammad Zahoor]], a British businessman of Pakistani origin; and [[Adnan Kivan]], a native of [[Syria]].<ref name="kadorrgroup.com">{{Cite web|url=https://kadorrgroup.com/about?lang=en|title=About|website=KADORR Group: официальный сайт Кадор Групп в Одессе}}</ref> In October 2024, Adnan Kivan died, and his son, Ruslan Kivan, took over as the publisher of Kyiv Post as well as Kadorr Group.

Sunden's KP Media sold the newspaper to British citizen Zahoor on July 28, 2009.<ref>[http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/53258/ Letter from the publisher] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120608204753/http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/53258 |date=2012-06-08 }}, ''Kyiv Post'' (November 19, 2009)</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Natalya Ryabinska|title=The Media Market and Media Ownership in Post-Communist Ukraine|journal=Problems of Post-Communism|date=November–December 2011|volume=58 |issue=6|pages=3–20|doi=10.2753/PPC1075-8216580601 |s2cid=155910833 |url=https://ukraine.mom-rsf.org/fileadmin/Editorial/Ukraine/Documents/D-5.pdf}}</ref> Zahoor owns the ISTIL Group and is a former steel mill owner in [[Donetsk]].<ref>[http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/46204/ Mohammad Zahoor buys Kyiv Post for an estimated $1.1 million] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605111640/http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/46204/ |date=2011-06-05 }}, ''Kyiv Post'' (July 30, 2009)</ref> Zahoor published the newspaper through his Public Media company. In an interview with the ''Kyiv Post'' published on August 6, 2009, Zahoor pledged to revive the newspaper and adhere to its tradition of editorial independence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/zahoor-robust-media-vital-46583.html|title=Zahoor: Robust Media Vital|work=KyivPost|date=6 August 2009 }}</ref>

On 21 March 2018, Odesa-based businessman Adnan Kivan,<ref name="kadorrgroup.com" /> a Syrian native and Ukrainian citizen, purchased the ''Kyiv Post'' from Zahoor for a selling price both said was more than $3.5 million. Kivan pledged editorial independence of journalists in an interview <ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-03-26|title=Kyiv Post publisher Adnan Kivan: I will 'preserve editorial independence' of newspaper {{!}} KyivPost - Ukraine's Global Voice|url=https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/kyiv-post-publisher-adnan-kivan-will-preserve-editorial-independence-newspaper.html|access-date=2020-07-19|website=KyivPost}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/new-kyiv-post-publisher-adnan-kivan-without-independent-journalism-cannot-get-democracy.html|title=New Kyiv Post publisher Adnan Kivan: 'Without independent journalism you cannot get democracy'|date=March 30, 2018|last1=Bonner|first1=Brian|website=Kyiv Post|url-status=live|archive-date=26 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201226025715/https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/new-kyiv-post-publisher-adnan-kivan-without-independent-journalism-cannot-get-democracy.html}}</ref> with ''Kyiv Post'' former Chief Editor Brian Bonner.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kyivpost.com/article/opinion/op-ed/brian-bonner-take-multiple-choice-quiz-kyiv-posts-new-owner.html|title=Brian Bonner: Take the multiple choice quiz about Kyiv Post's new owner &#124; KyivPost - Ukraine's Global Voice|date=26 March 2018 }}</ref> The newspaper is operated by his Businessgroup LLC. Kivan owns the KADORR Group of companies that specializes in construction and agriculture. His wife, Olga, and three children participate in his business. He used to be active in metals trading in the Black Sea port city from 1991-2007. In October 2024, Adnan Kivan suddenly passed away leaving the company to his son Ruslan Kivan to take over as CEO of Kyiv Post and Kadorr Group.

Sunden created the newspaper in the early years following the collapse of the Soviet Union, starting with $8,000 in capital, three computers and a staff of seven people working from a small flat in [[Kyiv]]. The first 16-page issue was put out by an editorial staff of two people. Sunden built the newspaper into a profitable enterprise, one that served the needs of the expatriate community that then regarded Ukraine as a potential hotspot for investment. During Sunden's tenure, he held to [[libertarian]] and anti-Communist views on the editorial and opinion pages, but established the business model of editorial independence on the news pages. He said the policy is good for business and news. Sunden was controversial for allowing paid "massage" advertisements from women engaging in ‘escort’ services.

After Zahoor bought the newspaper, he retained the entire editorial team. One of his first acts as publisher, however, was to eliminate the paid "massage" advertisements, saying he didn't want to own a newspaper that promoted ‘escort’ services. Zahoor sustained the policy of editorial independence, with limited exceptions. After the newspaper's editors endorsed [[Yulia Tymoshenko]] over [[Viktor Yanukovych]] for president in the [[2010 Ukrainian presidential election]], the publisher issued a policy to forbid editorial endorsements of any political candidate or political party, saying the newspaper should remain non-partisan even on its opinion pages. Zahoor relaxed the policy during the May 25, [[2014 Ukrainian presidential election|2014 presidential election]], when he and his wife, singer-actress [[Kamaliya]], came out publicly in strong support of billionaire Ukrainian businessman [[Petro Poroshenko]]'s election as president. While the newspaper was free to endorse any candidate for the election, its editorial board made no endorsement in the contest that Poroshenko easily won.

Zahoor's purchase and significant investment improved a newspaper that had been badly battered by the [[global recession of 2008-2009]], a sharp downturn that struck the ''Kyiv Post'' particularly hard in October–November 2008. The ''Kyiv Post'' lost advertising and cut costs, but still ended the year in the black, the last profitable year of its existence. In the last months under Sunden in 2009, the newspaper's editorial staff shrunk to 12 members, its page count to 16 and its print distribution to 6,000 copies.

Zahoor invested in journalists, increased distribution and improved newsprint. He boosted the page count—to 32 pages through much of 2010–2011, dropping back to 24 pages again through much of 2012-2013 and then to 16 or 24 pages since then. However, despite the investments, the ''Kyiv Post'' never regained consistent profitability, despite further staff and cost cuts, as print advertising continued to shrink, especially in the once all-important sector of employment advertising. However, combined with Zahoor's subsidies, the newspaper has been able to minimize financial losses through special publications, such as the Legal Quarterly, Real Estate and Doing Business supplements, as well as special events, including the annual Tiger Conference<ref>{{cite web|url=http://projects.kyivpost.com/tiger/|title=Tiger Conference – Tiger Conference}}</ref> and others. The start of an affiliated nongovernmental organization, the Media Development Foundation,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/mdfoundationUA/|title=Media Development Foundation - Facebook|website=[[Facebook]] }}</ref> also raises money for independent journalism.

Kivan's first six months as owner have also seen renewed investment as the ''Kyiv Post'' hired three new foreign correspondents - Iryna Somer in [[Brussels]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kyivpost.com/author/iryna-somer|title=Iryna Somer, Author at KyivPost|website=KyivPost|language=en-US|access-date=2018-09-20}}</ref> Askold Krushelnycky, a former chief editor of the ''Kyiv Post'', in Washington, D.C.; and Olena Goncharova in Edmonton, Canada. Somer left her Brussels position at the end of 2018.

In 2024, following the passing of Adnan Kivan, ownership of the newspaper passed to his son, Ruslan Kivan, who continues to develop the media project while maintaining its editorial independence and expanding its international presence.