“I’m having an
out-of-body experience,” said Bonner while addressing the newsroom on Aug. 19.
“I can’t believe I’m back at the helm.”
His appointment follows chief
editor Jakub Parusinski’s replacement of J. Michael Willard as Kyiv Post chief
executive officer on Aug. 16. Willard now coordinates special events and
projects for the English-language, weekly print and online newspaper.
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“Whether it’s attempts
to introduce a draconian libel law (in Ukraine’s parliament), changes of
ownership at TVi (once one of the last independent TV channels), or the sale of
UMH (publisher of Forbes Ukraine magazine), there have been many worrying
developments on Ukraine’s media landscape over the past year,” Parusinski told
the Kyiv Post of Bonner’s re-appointment.
He continued: “I think
Bonner’s return sends a strong signal of the publisher’s commitment to a free
and independent press in Ukraine. I’m
very excited to work with Brian (Bonner) on a number of new projects that will
help the Kyiv Post survive and thrive.”
Midwestern roots
Born in Wisconsin, Bonner,
53, was first appointed as chief editor in 1999 by former publisher and
American citizen Jed Sunden. Bonner left the same year, but Sunden re-hired him
in June 2008.
Zahoor retained Bonner
as editor-in-chief and the entire editorial and commercial staff when he
purchased the newspaper in July 2009 for an estimated
$1.1 million, according to investment bank Dragon Capital. He dismissed
Bonner in April 15, 2011, but re-hired
him five days later.
He was again dismissed
on May 1, 2013.
Bonner was employed at the St. Paul Pioneer Press in Minnesota for
nearly 24 years as a reporter and editor covering the police, courts and city
hall beats, according
to a MinnPost profile of him. He worked also on general assignment,
enterprise and investigative beats, and was a weekend news editor.
Chief editor with unique background
Bonner hired Parusinski,
29, from the financial services sector in September 2011 as a full-time
business reporter. Having dual Polish and Australian citizenship, Parusinski
was born in the coastal Polish city of Gdansk, but was educated and spent most
of his adult life in the West.
Prior to his appointment
as CEO, Parusinski replaced Bonner as chief editor in May.
Founded in 1995, the
Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s only independent, English-language newspaper.
(This article was updated to correct the sub-headine that stated Jakub Parusinski was the first non-American chief editor. There were at least two other non-American chief editors of the Kyiv Post. The Kyiv Post regrets the error.)
Kyiv Post editor Mark Rachkevych can be reached at rachkevych@kyivpost.com.
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