You're reading: Letter from the publisher

Kyiv Post publisher Mohammad Zahoor announces improvements to the newspaper and his future plans.

Dear Kyiv Post readers,

I have been a big fan of this newspaper since it started in 1995. Since July, I have had the privilege to own and publish the Kyiv Post. While today’s economy is tough for advertising-dependent media, I am fortunate to be able to invest in the newspaper, which plays a vital role in Ukraine.

Today, I am happy to announce some of the improvements we have made in recent months. More are on the way. So far, we have:

Doubled the number of printed pages, to 32 from 16, and hired more journalists to cover the news;

Improved the newsprint quality so that the pictures, stories and advertisements look as attractive as possible;

Redesigned the www.kyivpost.com website to give our growing worldwide audience more news and free access to our exclusive archive of articles;

Added more than 50 distribution locations in Kyiv and throughout the major population centers of Donetsk, Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk and Odessa, so that the newspaper is easier to find; and

Lowered the price of delivery subscriptions, so that the newspaper is more affordable to more people.

As owner, I pledge to continue the newspaper’s history of independent journalism and editorial independence. Neither I nor anyone who works for me interferes with news decisions made by the newspaper’s journalists. Of course, my ISTIL Group is active in business and community events in Kyiv, so we expect our newsworthy activities to be covered. And my wife, the singer and actress Kamaliya, makes her own news as well.

As publisher, I am ultimately responsible for everything in the newspaper and I determine its strategic direction with my investment decisions. We will have a newspaper that emphasizes investigative reporting, that is on the top of the political scene and that offers top-notch business and entertainment coverage. We are also a community newspaper at heart and will make room, in print and online, for coverage of events and people important to our audience.

With your support, the best days are ahead for Ukraine’s No. 1 English-language newspaper. Please stay tuned for even more improvements soon and let us know how we are doing!

Sincerely,

Mohammad Zahoor

Kyiv Post publisher