“All our materials are exclusive!” Vechirnii Mykolayiv newspaper recovered with NUJU’s assistance

Not only does the newspaper editor-in-chief manage the team and write articles, but also sells fresh issues from a newsstand.

“We have already released two issues; we are preparing the third!” says Olena Ivashko, the new editor-in-chief of the Vechirnii Mykolayiv newspaper, with pride. With the assistance of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), this newspaper resumed printing on May 22 and is coming to the reader again.

The editor says that she herself did not fully believe that the newspaper would be published again. That’s why she reacted emotionally on Facebook: “We’re being published! We succeeded!” Almost 140 commentators reacted to the post, and the absolute majority sincerely congratulated Vechirnii Mykolayiv on its resumed activity.

“We distributed part of the circulation of the first issue during the celebration of the 42^nd anniversary of the children’s town Kazka and at the pier, where the military band performed. We took advantage of this opportunity because today there are so few events in Mykolayiv where the townspeople could gather,” says Olena Ivashko. “But usually, I sit and sell newspapers at the kiosk.

According to the editor, now the task of the revived newspaper is to make the reader remember it. She is pleased when she hears how passers-by are surprised: “Wow! The newspaper is here! Cool!” And so, they approach and buy. The first issue was published on eight pages with a circulation of 1,500 copies, and the second on four pages having a circulation of 1,000.

However, the distribution issue is currently acute. The newsroom concluded an agreement with several enterprises that buy newspapers in bulk. It is still not possible to negotiate a subscription with Ukrposhta because the newspaper, which has not been published for a long time, submitted documents for re-registration on the last day and is now in line.

“We will probably have to switch to an editorial subscription. On the NUJU website, I read about the experience of many editors who distribute their publications in this way,” says the editor. “We are also considering the possibility of organizing the sale of the newspaper in catering establishments and shops.”

The first issues of Vechirnii Mykolayiv were published at the expense of the NUJU and its partners; now, the newsroom is working with an issue of potential donors. In particular, they won a grant to obtain a high-capacity charging station, which is very important for Mykolayiv.

When asked if she does not regret having headed the publication at a time when a lot of work needs to be done on its revival, Olena Ivashko answers that there were moments when doubts appeared.

“But I like that our employees are happy that they got the prospect of staying in their favorite profession. I love it when readers are happy to receive another issue. And besides, for me, it’s a matter of responsibility. The people of Mykolayiv should have a variety of means of information,” says the editor. “Some say that they can read anything on a smartphone. And no! Only we have our materials – exclusive!”

The recovery of local media, especially in the front-line territories, is one of the main priorities of the NSJU. After the start of a full-scale conflict in the front-line and de-occupied territories, about 30 local publications were restored with the assistance of the NUJU.

NUJU Information Service

Photo by Olena Ivashko