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The Kyiv Post has closed. The English-language newspaper and news portal in the Ukraine capital abruptly ceased publication this week. It follows the final closure of Lebanon’s English-language newspaper Daily Star at the end of October. The two events are, mostly, unrelated.
Publisher Adnan Kivan announced the closure “for a very short time” on Monday (November 8). “One day, we hope to reopen the newspaper bigger and better,” he added. On the same day employment of the entire staff was terminated with immediate effect. Editor-in-chief Brian Bonner said he would “retire” after preserving the newspaper’s archives.
The now-unemployed Kyiv Post staff quickly rallied support, in some form, and condemnation of Mr. Kivan, an Odessa, Ukraine real estate developer who acquired the newspaper in 2018. After seeming to pay little attention to Kyiv Post until mid-October, Mr. Kivan then announced the imminent arrival of a Ukrainian-language edition to be administered by Olena Rotari, former news director of Odessa TV Channel 7, which he also owns and uses as a PR tool. Mr. Bonner and the staff resisted. "The team's attempt to preserve independence caused resistance from the owner,” said staff writer Anna Myroniuk, quoted by Ukraine media news portal Detector Media (November 11). (See more about media in Ukraine here)
Apparently, the staff attempted to acquire the newspaper, which Mr. Kivan rejected with an offer of employment to previous staff under new the management. Named as new chief executive is Luc Chenier, who held that position under previous owner Mohammad Zahur, reported Interfax-Ukraine (November 11). “The team considers it impossible to cooperate with the owner, who is trying to influence the editorial office and get rid of uncomfortable journalists,” added Ms Myroniuk.
Media watchers in Ukraine noted, unsurprisingly, a level of political intrigue. Mr. Kivan occasionally groused about editorial decision, his main interests have been in the Odessa businesses and polishing his own brand. That may have changed recently after the 2020 election of Gennadiy Trukhanov, widely reported with underworld relationships, as mayor of Odessa. Mr. Kivan and Mayor Trukhanov have a long-standing feud.
Kyiv Post was founded in 1995 by Jed Sunden. He was briefly expelled from Ukraine by the administration of former president Leonid Kuchma. In 2009 Mr. Sunden sold the newspaper to Mohammad Zahoor for US$1.1 million. Surprising many, Mr. Zahoor did not turn Kyiv Post into a rich guy’s playground. He sold it to Mr. Kivan in 2018. Through its 26 years Kyiv Post became known for a robust independent journalism widely read by Kyiv diplomatic circles.
Despicable treatment of reporters by authoritarian regimes has become so commonplace barely the public opinion needle moves. Perhaps we are benumbed by more incivility, more effrontery, more tragedy. Still, some continue to speak out, seemingly into the wilderness.
Journalism and human rights advocates have been joined by several governments to urge authorities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to release citizen journalist Zhang Zhan from prison. She gained worldwide notice for “ground-breaking” reporting in early 2020 from the coronavirus outbreak epicenter, Wuhan province. This led to a four-year sentence in a Shanghai jail for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a charge often used by Chinese officials to punish critics, noted South China Morning Post (SCMP) (November 9). (See more about media in China here)
She has been nominated for the Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) press freedom award for courage, reported the Guardian (November 8). In its statement (November 8) RSF said she “was one of the main sources of independent information about the health situation in Wuhan at the time.” Family members said Ms Zhang “may not live for much longer.” Also nominated are Myanmar Now reporter Kay Zon Nway, Belfast Sunday World crime reporter Patricia Devlin and Nicaraguan weekly Confidencial. The 2020 Prize for Courage was awarded to Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta investigative reporter Elena Milashina. (See more about press/media freedom here)
“The United States, along with other diplomatic missions – we have repeatedly expressed our serious concerns about the arbitrary nature of her detention and her mistreatment during it,” said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price at a briefing (November (8). “We reiterate our call to the PRC for her immediate and unconditional release and for Beijing to respect a free press and the right of people to express themselves freely.”
In September RSF and 44 human rights organizations - including PEN International, Index on Censorship, Amnesty International and Committee to Protect Journalists - urged PRC president Xi Jinping to “exonerate and release” Ms Zhang. In October Chinese state media outlet Global Times chief editor Hu Xijin accused RSF of “building an alliance of lies.” Mr. Hu concluded saying,”Like a wild dog, (RSF) will haunt the road ahead of China from time to time. Therefore, we must carry a stick in our luggage when forging ahead.”
Nobody should be confused about climate change. Greta Thunberg isn’t confused. A great many people are, however. That shouldn’t surprise anybody, really.
Market research firm Demoskop polled a sample of Swedes in early October and found 44% - presented as about half - believe “it is difficult to assess what is true when it comes to climate change,” published in a release (November 1). “In addition, the level of knowledge is very low when it comes to issues concerning the amount of carbon dioxide emissions and how long carbon dioxide can stay in the atmosphere.” On the face, that is not a surprise: chemistry is a hard school subject, even for those who pay attention.
Information would seem to be a viable corrective. It is, coming from researchers, 84% of those surveyed agreed. From journalists, not so much; only 29% agreed. At least that’s better than the score for politicians: just 12%. The corrective, said the respondents, is “society at large.”
The survey showed 20% of Swedes believe “the media falsely report on climate change.” On the other side, one in three (35%) said too little is reported about climate change. Nearly four in ten (39%) said media report appropriately, 18% too much. (See more about media in Sweden here)
“More and more people believe that the climate issue is the most important political issue,” summarized Demoskop chief executive Karin Nelsson. “There is an expectation that society will jointly resolve the crisis and that the media have a great responsibility to inform the public.”
Iconic Lebanese newspaper - the English-language Daily Star - formally exited at the end of October. Its digital edition went dark two weeks earlier. The printed edition stopped in February 2020. Editor-in-chief Nadim Ladki cited “these difficult times” in phone messages and emails to employees. The same could be said of Lebanon generally.
The country has been rocked by an endless series of catastrophes. Political and religious factions have continuously fought among themselves and, occasionally, neighboring states. Economic output has fallen to levels not seen since 1850, noted the World Bank in June. Unemployment and inflation are in hyperdrive. There are fuel and electricity shortages, not to forget food and medicine. International solutions are always just over the horizon. The London School of Economic deemed Lebanon “a failed state.” Meanwhile, the national tourist board just splashed with a promotional campaign, reported the Guardian (November 5): “I love you in your madness.”
Daily Star arrived in 1952 as Lebanon became a center for post-World War Two oil trade, attracting expat workers and money. Founded by Lebanese journalist Kamel Mrowa the newspaper thrived in its early years. For a period of time, it circulated with the Middle East edition of the International Herald Tribune (IHT), then jointly published by the New York Times (NYT), Washington Post and Whitney Communications.
But the long Lebanese civil war took a toll as expats and “the intelligentsia” fled. The newspaper was acquired by prominent politician and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri. The Hariri family’s Saudi Oger construction company closed fours ago. Daily Star went through several attempts at holding off the inevitable. “The absence of a serious business model and the presence of political funds will lead to such a dramatic end,” said media rights advocate SKeyes spokesperson Jad Shahrour to Al-Jazeera (November 3). When the end came, Daily Star’s 21 employees had not been paid in seven months. (See more about media in the Middle East here)
Lebanon’s media sector has suffered for several years. Beruit-based Arabic-language As-Safir closed at the end on 2016. Daily Al-Mustaqbal stopped its print edition in 2019, continuing online. Future TV gave up the same year. Daily An-Nahar is reportedly at risk.
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