Key facts
- The Kyiv Independent won the 2026 Online Journalism Award for Innovation in Revenue Strategy in the Medium Newsroom category.
- The award recognizes the newsroom's membership model that keeps reporting free while inviting reader support.
- The newsroom's membership grew 78% in 2025, from 14,300 to 25,500 members.
- Monthly recurring revenue rose 69% in 2025.
- Reader support accounted for approximately 70% of the Kyiv Independent's funding in 2025.
The Kyiv Independent was honored with the 2026 Online Journalism Award for Innovation in Revenue Strategy in the Medium Newsroom category on September 3. The award celebrates the news outlet's successful membership model, which prioritizes keeping its journalism accessible to readers while encouraging financial support. Judges commended the organization for its transparent approach and its ability to grow its membership base even while reporting from a war zone. The model emphasizes reader partnership rather than a traditional subscription service, fostering a global community around shared values. This marks the Kyiv Independent's second consecutive Online Journalism Award in this category, following its 2025 win for establishing a sustainable business model during wartime. In 2025, the newsroom's membership increased by 78%, reaching 25,500 members by the end of the year. This growth contributed to a 69% rise in monthly recurring revenue, with an average monthly churn rate of 1.64%. Approximately 90% of members rated their experience positively in a recent survey. Currently, the Kyiv Independent has over 35,000 paying members, with reader support constituting about 70% of its overall funding.