Online outlet theBabel shuts down due to lack of funding

Online outlet theBabel shuts down due to lack of funding

Part of the team of the online outlet theBabel decided to resign due to funding problems. In particular, editor-in-chief Kateryna Kobernyk is leaving her position.

Kobernyk told Hromadske about this.

“I have no information about whether it (theBabel — ed.) will continue to exist or not, or in what composition. I know that part of the team is leaving today, journalists,” she said. Kobernyk noted that as of 1 January 2019 she is leaving the position of editor-in-chief of the outlet and the shareholder structure. She explained that in recent months theBabel had funding problems. At the same time, there were no delays in salary payments. The team is also being joined by the outlet’s chief editor Hlib Husyev.

On his Facebook page he wrote that “theBabel is closing.” “It will take some time to close things up and say goodbye to everyone. And there are many people, and I’m grateful to all of them. So this will probably be a post of thanks,” Husyev added. The online outlet theBabel began operating in September 2018.

Kateryna Kobernyk became editor-in-chief; at that time she was deputy director of the new media department of the holding “1+1 media.” Hlib Husyev became chief editor. According to the public organization Detector Media, at the start the outlet was owned by four shareholders with 25% of the shares each: executive director of “1+1 media” Yaroslav Pakholchuk, CEO of “1+1 media” Oleksandr Tkachenko, Kateryna Kobernyk, and Hlib Husyev.

Later, after being elected a member of parliament, Tkachenko left the shareholder composition, and his share went to Yaroslav Pakholchuk, who became the owner of 50% of the company.