{{short description|US online nonprofit news outlet}} {{italic title}} {{other uses|Intercept (disambiguation)}} {{use American English|date=March 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox website | name = ''The Intercept'' | logo = class=skin-invert-image|216px | logocaption = | screenshot = 216px | caption = | creator = | collapsible = no | url = {{official URL}} | commercial = No | type = News website | registration = | language = {{hlist|English|Portuguese}} | launch_date = {{Start date and age|2014|02|10}} | revenue = $5.6 million (2024)<ref>{{cite web |title=Intercept Media Inc - Nonprofit Explorer |url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/921198452 |website=ProPublica |access-date=March 23, 2026 |language=en |date=March 23, 2026}}</ref> | current_status = | footnotes = }} [[File:National Security Agency, 2013.jpg|thumb|Photograph by Trevor Paglen of the National Security Agency headquarters in Fort Meade first published in ''The Intercept'']]
'''''The Intercept''''' is an American left-wing<ref name="Semafor">{{cite web |last=Tani |first=Max |title=The Intercept is running out of cash |url=https://www.semafor.com/article/04/14/2024/the-intercept-is-running-out-of-cash |website=Semafor|access-date=2 September 2025 |date=15 April 2024}}</ref><ref name="Perloff 2021">{{cite book |last=Perloff |first=Richard M. |author-link=Richard M. Perloff |title=The Dynamics of Political Communication: Media and Politics in a Digital Age |date=July 27, 2021 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |isbn=9781000414677 |page=57 |edition=3rd |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kogzEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT51 |chapter-url-access=limited |doi=10.4324/9780429298851-3 |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780429298851/dynamics-political-communication-richard-perloff |url-access=subscription |chapter=Introduction to Political Communication |via=Google Books |access-date=September 16, 2024 |quote=The advent of a host of online news platforms—Breitbart News on the right and The Intercept on the left—have cut into mainstream news's audience, with their predictable right- and left-wing takes on politics.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Lapper |first=Richard |title=Beef, Bible and bullets: Brazil in the age of Bolsonaro |date=June 3, 2021 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=978-1-5261-4900-8 |page=28 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OxswEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT34 |chapter-url-access=limited |url=https://www.manchesterhive.com/display/9781526154019/9781526154019.xml| url-access=subscription |doi=10.7765/9781526154019.00005 |via=Google Books |access-date=September 16, 2024 |language=en |chapter=The outsider |quote=Three years earlier, in an angry exchange with PT congresswoman Maria de Rosário, he told her that 'she was too ugly to rape', prompting Rosário to press criminal charges, and the left-wing publication ''The Intercept'' to describe Bolsonaro as 'the most misogynistic, hateful elected official in the democratic world'.}}</ref> and progressive<ref name="Semafor" /><ref name="Shaikh 2022">{{Cite web |last=Fischer |first=Sara |date=January 9, 2023 |title=Exclusive: The Intercept spinning off as an independent nonprofit |url=https://www.axios.com/2023/01/09/the-intercept-spinoff-independent-nonprofit |access-date=July 16, 2025 |website=Axios |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Perlberg">{{cite news |last=Perlberg |first=Steven |date=April 24, 2019 |title=How the Intercept Is Fueling the Democratic Civil War |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/04/24/the-intercept-greenwald-grim-profile-media-politics-left-liberal-226710/ |website=Politico |access-date=March 24, 2026}}</ref> nonprofit news organization that publishes articles and podcasts online. ''The Intercept'' has published in English since its founding in 2014, and in Portuguese since the 2016 launch of the Brazilian edition. It has been noted for its pro-Palestinian coverage.<ref name="Semafor" /><ref name="Prism">{{cite news |last=Froio |first=Nicole |title=Palestine coverage scares off nonprofit news funders |url=https://prismreports.org/2025/07/23/palestine-coverage-nonprofit-news-funding/ |access-date=1 December 2025 |work=Prism |date=23 July 2025}}</ref>
==History==
===2014–2022: Founding, early years=== ''The Intercept'' was founded by journalists Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill, and Laura Poitras.<ref name="integrity">{{cite news |last=Tracy |first=Marc |date=January 14, 2021 |title=A Co-Founder of The Intercept Says She Was Fired for Airing Concerns |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/14/business/media/laura-poitras-fired-first-look.html}}</ref> It was launched on February 10, 2014, by First Look Media with $250 million in pledged funding by billionaire eBay co-founder Pierre Omidyar.<ref name="aboutpage">{{cite web |title=About The Intercept |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/about |access-date=February 10, 2014 |website=The Intercept |archive-date=February 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140210072001/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/about |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="nextweb launch">{{cite news|last=Russell|first=Jon|title=The Intercept, the first online publication from eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, is now live|url=https://thenextweb.com/media/2014/02/10/the-intercept-the-first-online-publication-from-ebay-founder-pierre-omidyar-is-now-live/|access-date=December 7, 2015|newspaper=The Next Web|date=February 10, 2014}}</ref><ref name="NYT 2020-09-13">{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Ben |title=The Intercept Promised to Reveal Everything. Then Its Own Scandal Hit. |work=The New York Times |date=September 13, 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/13/business/media/the-intercept-source-reality-winner.html |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The publication initially reported on documents released by Edward Snowden.<ref name="launch">{{cite web|last=Greenwald |first=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Greenwald |first2=Laura|last2=Poitras|first3=Jeremy|last3=Scahill|title=Welcome to The Intercept|work=The Intercept|url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/10/welcome-intercept|date=February 10, 2014|access-date=December 7, 2015|archive-date=August 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815225107/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/10/welcome-intercept/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Co-founders Greenwald and Poitras left in 2020 amid public disagreements about the leadership and direction of the organization.<ref name="integrity" />
A Brazilian version of the site, ''Intercept Brasil'', launched in August 2016.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 3, 2016 |title=The Intercept lança versão brasileira |url=https://www.brasildefato.com.br/2016/08/03/the-intercept-lanca-versao-brasileira/ |access-date=February 26, 2026 |work=Brasil de Fato |language=pt-BR}}</ref> The site featured both original reporting in Portuguese as well as features from the main Intercept site translated into Portuguese.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mioli |first1=Teresa |last2=Sturm |first2=Heloisa Aruth |date=August 2, 2016 |title=Glenn Greenwald launches The Intercept Brasil in Portuguese to cover Brazilian social and political news |url=https://latamjournalismreview.org/articles/glenn-greenwald-launches-the-intercept-brasil-in-portuguese-to-cover-brazilian-social-and-political-news/ |access-date=February 26, 2026 |work=LatAm Journalism Review by the Knight Center |language=en}}</ref> The newsrooms for ''The Intercept'' and its Brazilian counterpart were editorially independent.<ref name="Bergamo">{{cite news |last=Bergamo |first=Mônica |date=October 14, 2022 |title=The Intercept Brasil vai se tornar independente da redação americana |url=https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/colunas/monicabergamo/2022/10/the-intercept-brasil-vai-se-tornar-independente-da-redacao-americana.shtml |access-date=February 26, 2026 |work=Folha de S.Paulo |language=pt-BR}}</ref> In 2019, ''Intercept Brasil'' published ''Vaza Jato'' ("Car Wash Leaks"), messages demonstrating collaboration on illegal acts among former judge Sergio Moro, prosecutor Deltan Dallagnol, and others as part of Operation Car Wash.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Londoño |first1=Ernesto |last2=Casado |first2=Letícia |date=June 10, 2019 |title=Leaked Messages Raise Fairness Questions in Brazil Corruption Inquiry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/10/world/americas/brazil-car-wash-lava-jato.html |access-date=February 26, 2026 |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Jiménez |first1=Carla |last2=Betim |first2=Felipe |last3=Oliveira |first3=Regiane |date=February 4, 2021 |title=Derrocada da Lava Jato expõe Moro como guia da força-tarefa, e escândalo cai no colo do Supremo |url=https://brasil.elpais.com/brasil/2021-02-04/derrocada-da-lava-jato-expoe-moro-como-guia-da-forca-tarefa-e-escandalo-cai-no-colo-do-supremo.html |access-date=February 26, 2026 |work=El País Brasil |language=pt-BR}}</ref> ''Intercept Brasil'' spun off as an independent organization in October 2022.<ref name="Bergamo" />
===2023–present: Independent organization=== In January 2023 it spun off from the First Look Institute (the nonprofit arm of First Look Media<ref name="Shaikh 2022" />) as an independent nonprofit organization.<ref name="Prism" /> Reporting from ''The Intercept'' exposed significant sourcing issues with the influential December 2023 New York Times article "Screams Without Words", which alleged that Hamas perpetrated systematic sexual violence during the October 7 attacks.<ref>{{cite news |last=Heer |first=Jeet |date=March 1, 2024 |title=The Nixonian 'New York Times' Stonewalls on a Discredited Article About Hamas and Rape |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/new-york-times-intercept-hamas-rape/ |access-date=February 27, 2026 |work=The Nation}}</ref> The investigation demonstrated how two inexperienced freelancers in Israel had done the majority of reporting work for the ''New York Times'' story, raising concerns about its editorial process and credibility.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wagner |first=Laura |date=April 29, 2024 |title=Journalism professors call on New York Times to review Oct. 7 report |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/04/29/new-york-times-oct-7-journalism-professors-letter/ |access-date=February 26, 2026 |work=The Washington Post |language=en}}</ref> In follow-up reporting, ''The Intercept'' confirmed that ''The New York Times'' had withheld an episode of its podcast ''The Daily'' related to "Screams Without Words" due to internal debate about the veracity of the publication's original reporting.<ref>{{cite news |last=Darcy |first=Oliver |date=March 1, 2024 |title=The New York Times stands by its reporting on the Hamas terror attack after questions are raised |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/01/media/ny-times-stands-by-reporting-hamas/index.html |access-date=February 27, 2026 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> In February 2024, ''The New York Times'' began an internal investigation into the source of leaks to ''The Intercept''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Klein |first=Charlotte |date=February 29, 2024 |title=New York Times Launches Leak Investigation Over Report on Its Israel-Gaza Coverage |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/new-york-times-israel-gaza-leak |access-date=February 27, 2026 |work=Vanity Fair}}</ref>
In February 2024, ''The Intercept'' laid off 16 staff members, one-third of its newsroom.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Helmore |first=Edward |date=February 15, 2024 |title='Breathtaking' media layoffs continue with job cuts at NowThis and Intercept |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/feb/15/layoffs-vox-media-nowthis-intercept |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240215201555/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/feb/15/layoffs-vox-media-nowthis-intercept |archive-date=February 15, 2024 |access-date=March 20, 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Micah |date=March 20, 2024 |title=The Intercept laid me off |url=https://micahflee.com/2024/03/the-intercept-laid-me-off |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320200734/https://micahflee.com/2024/03/the-intercept-laid-me-off/ |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |access-date=March 20, 2024 |website=micahflee.com}}</ref> In April 2024 the outlet fired William Arkin, and Ken Klippenstein resigned in protest.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mediaite.com/news/top-reporter-at-the-intercept-quits-slamming-dysfunction-at-outlet-on-the-way-out/|title=Top Reporter at The Intercept Quits, Slamming 'Dysfunction' at Outlet on the Way Out|date=April 30, 2024 |website=Mediaite}}</ref> Later that month, ''Semafor'' reported that ''The Intercept'' was running out of money "and facing its own bitter civil war, with multiple feuding factions battling for power and two star journalists trying to take control".<ref name="Semafor" />
In February 2024, ''The Intercept'' filed a lawsuit against OpenAI regarding the unauthorized use of journalists' work to train ChatGPT. The lawsuit focused on a provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) not previously explored in the legal disputes between news organizations and AI companies.<ref>{{cite news |last=Deck |first=Andrew |date=March 20, 2024 |title=The Intercept charts a new legal strategy for digital publishers suing OpenAI |url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/03/the-intercept-charts-a-new-legal-strategy-for-digital-publishers-suing-openai/ |access-date=March 2, 2026 |website=Nieman Lab}}</ref> One year later, a federal court upheld part of the suit and overruled OpenAI's attempt to dismiss the case, though claims against Microsoft were dismissed. The ruling demonstrated that the DMCA can provide protections for news organizations against AI companies' unauthorized use of digital content, regardless of whether that content has been registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brittain |first=Blake |date=February 20, 2025 |title=OpenAI must face part of Intercept lawsuit over AI training |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/openai-must-face-part-intercept-lawsuit-over-ai-training-2025-02-20/ |access-date=March 2, 2026 |website=Reuters}}</ref>
In June 2024, the unionized staff of ''The Intercept'' asked the group's board of directors to terminate the organization's CEO Annie Chabel and Chief Strategy Officer Sumi Aggarwal, commit to restructuring the business, and provide transparency into conversations with donors.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tani |first=Max |date=June 2, 2024 |title=Money woes, staff issues strain the Intercept |url=https://www.semafor.com/article/06/02/2024/money-woes-staff-issues-strain-the-intercept |access-date=1 December 2025 |website=Semafor |language=en}}</ref> The next month, Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim left ''The Intercept'' to found their own news website, ''Drop Site News'', with some funding at launch from ''The Intercept''. ''The Intercept'' continued to publish the ''Intercepted'' and ''Deconstructed'' podcasts.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tani |first=Max |date=July 9, 2024 |title=Instagram removes Gaza posts from lefty news org Democracy Now |url=https://www.semafor.com/article/07/09/2024/instagram-removes-gaza-posts-from-lefty-new-org-democracy-now |access-date=March 1, 2026 |work=Semafor}}</ref>
In February 2025, ''The Intercept'' published Elon Musk's government email address, which had not been previously reported, and filed more than a dozen related Freedom of Information Act requests.<ref>{{cite news |last=Walker |first=Chris |date=March 7, 2025 |title=Hoping for Flood of FOIA Requests, The Intercept Publishes Musk's Government Email Address |url=https://truthout.org/articles/hoping-for-doge-transparency-the-intercept-publishes-musks-government-email/ |access-date=March 2, 2026 |work=Truthout}}</ref> ''The Intercept'' reported on a bill introduced in September 2025 that would give the Secretary of State power to revoke the passport of a U.S. citizen based on their beliefs or speech.<ref>{{cite news |last=Prager |first=Stephen |date=September 13, 2025 |title=New Bill Would Allow Rubio to Strip US Citizens' Passports Over Political Speech |url=https://truthout.org/articles/new-bill-would-allow-rubio-to-strip-us-citizens-passports-over-political-speech/ |access-date=March 2, 2026 |work=Truthout}}</ref> Within days, public outrage led Rep. Brian Mast, who had introduced the bill, to backtrack on the proposal.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Ja'han |date=September 16, 2025 |title=GOP bill to empower Marco Rubio to revoke passports draws public backlash |url=https://www.ms.now/top-stories/latest/gop-bill-marco-rubio-passports-free-speech-hr-5300-rcna231679 |access-date=March 2, 2026 |work=MS NOW}}</ref> That same month, ''The Intercept'' was the first news organization to report that the U.S. attacked an alleged drug boat multiple times, known as a double tap strike, in order to kill survivors of its first attack.<ref>{{cite news |last=de Guzman |first=Chad |date=December 2, 2025 |title=What to Know About the Admiral Named by Hegseth as Boat Strike Comes Under Scrutiny |url=https://time.com/7337980/pete-hegseth-admiral-frank-bradley-kill-command-drug-boat-strike/ |access-date=March 2, 2026 |work=Time}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Blake |first=Aaron |date=December 1, 2025 |title=6 big questions about the Trump administration's boat strikes controversy |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/01/politics/boat-second-strike-trump-drug-hegseth |access-date=March 2, 2026 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> In November 2025, ''The Intercept'' reported that in response to U.S. Department of State sanctions,<ref>{{cite news |last=Kirkland |first=Colin |date=November 7, 2025 |title=YouTube Removes Palestinian Human Rights Groups' Content |url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/410498/youtube-removes-palestinian-human-rights-groups-c.html |access-date=March 2, 2026 |work=MediaPost |language=en}}</ref> YouTube had deleted more than 700 videos from three major Palestinian human rights organizations documenting alleged human rights violations by Israel.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 6, 2025 |title=Digital evidence loss concerns after YouTube deletes Gaza archives |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2576103/youtube-removals-and-wikipedia-dispute-raise-concerns-on-gaza-content-access |access-date=March 2, 2026 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref>
In late 2025, ''The Intercept'' was among the first outlets to detail the case of a retired police officer in Tennessee who was jailed for more than a month because of a meme he posted on Facebook in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vorel |first=Jim |date=November 21, 2025 |title=Larry Bushart: The Man Who Spent 37 Days in Jail for a Single Trump Meme |url=https://www.jezebel.com/larry-bushart-case-jail-37-days-donald-trump-meme-charlie-kirk-tennessee-perry-county |access-date=March 2, 2026 |work=Jezebel}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Belanger |first=Ashley |date=October 30, 2025 |title=Man finally released a month after absurd arrest for reposting Trump meme |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/10/man-finally-released-a-month-after-absurd-arrest-for-reposting-trump-meme/ |access-date=March 2, 2026 |work=Ars Technica |language=en}}</ref> An investigation by ''The Intercept'' found no evidence that anyone in the public had expressed concern about danger in response to the meme, contradicting the claims of the county sheriff whose office arrested the man.<ref>{{cite news |last=Graham |first=Chris |date=December 17, 2025 |title=Tennessee man jailed over anti-Trump meme suing sheriff, county |url=https://augustafreepress.com/news/tennessee-man-jailed-over-anti-trump-meme-suing-sheriff-county/ |access-date=March 2, 2026 |work=Augusta Free Press}}</ref> The story drew widespread attention; within a week, the man was released and charges were dropped.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rojas |first=Rick |date=October 29, 2025 |title=Tennessee Man Released After Month in Jail Over Charlie Kirk Post |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/us/tennessee-man-released-after-month-in-jail-over-charlie-kirk-post.html |access-date=March 2, 2026 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>
In March 2026, NYC Health + Hospitals canceled a contract with Palantir following reporting from ''The Intercept'' sharing details of the contract and showing almost $4 million in payments since November 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mansoor |first=Sanya |date=March 26, 2026 |title=New York City hospitals drop Palantir as controversial AI firm expands in UK |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/26/new-york-hospitals-palantir-ai |access-date=April 2, 2026 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>
==Activities==
===Edward Snowden reporting and archives=== In its early years, ''The Intercept'' published extensive investigations on the Snowden disclosures' revelations about surveillance activity in the U.S. and globally.<ref name="Perlberg" /> In March 2014, ''Der Spiegel'' and ''The Intercept'' jointly reported on a list of world leaders, including German chancellor Angela Merkel, subject to U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pengelly |first=Martin |title=NSA listed Merkel among leaders subject to surveillance – report |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/29/nsa-merkel-leaders-surveillance-documents-snowden |access-date=March 4, 2026 |work=The Guardian |date=March 29, 2014}}</ref> Five months later, ''The Intercept'' shared details on ICREACH, the NSA's search engine giving access to hundreds of millions of records about both American citizens and non-Americans to 23 U.S. governmental agencies, including the CIA and FBI.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pulliam-Moore |first=Charles |title=Google-like NSA search engine implemented to learn about civilians |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/google-like-nsa-search-engine-icreach-used-learn-civilians |access-date=March 4, 2026 |publisher=PBS |work=Newshour |date=August 25, 2014 |language=en-us}}</ref>
In July 2014, ''The Intercept'' reported how the British spy agency Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ) was covertly manipulating internet content and activity with tactics like artificially increasing website traffic and interfering with online polls.<ref>{{cite news |title=How a British Spy Agency is Manipulating the Internet - The Takeaway |url=https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/how-british-spy-agency-can-manipulate-internet |access-date=March 4, 2026 |website=WNYC Studios |date=July 16, 2014 |language=en}}</ref> ''The Intercept'' also alleged that GCHQ used Regin malware in cyberattacks on Belgacom and other EU computer systems.<ref>{{cite news |title=Intel groups suspected in Regin virus |url=http://www.dw.de/it-firms-likely-link-between-regin-virus-intelligence-agency/a-18088620 |access-date=March 4, 2026 |website=Deutsche Welle |date=November 25, 2014 |language=en}}</ref> In February 2015, ''The Intercept'' reported that the NSA and GCHQ had hacked French-Dutch digital security company Gemalto<ref>{{cite news |last1=Scott |first1=Mark |last2=Breeden |first2=Aurelien |title=U.S. and British Agencies May Have Tried to Get SIM Encryption Codes, Gemalto Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/26/business/international/gemalto-says-nsa-tried-to-take-sim-encryption-codes.html |access-date=March 4, 2026 |work=The New York Times |date=February 25, 2015}}</ref> in order to surveil calls and data secretly, an apparent violation of international law.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rushe |first=Dominic |title=Rights groups criticise US and UK spies for 'disturbing' sim cards hack |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/20/rights-groups-gchq-nsa-spies-sim-cards-hack-gemalto |access-date=March 4, 2026 |work=The Guardian |date=February 20, 2015}}</ref> A follow-up in June 2015 detailed how GCHQ's Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group worked to discredit specific targets online through the use of impersonation, fake websites, YouTube videos, and other tools.<ref>{{cite news |last=Price |first=Rob |title=How British spies covertly shape the flow of information online to 'discredit' their targets |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/gchq-spies-discredit-targets-on-the-internet-2015-6 |access-date=March 4, 2026 |work=Business Insider |date=June 23, 2015}}</ref> A story in September 2015 covered Karma Police, GCHQ's surveillance program established seven years earlier to record the search, browsing, and chat activities of every internet user with the goal of identifying patterns and relationships rather than targeting specific users.<ref>{{cite news |last=Zetter |first=Kim |title=New Reports Describe More Mass Surveillance and Schemes to Undermine Encryption |url=https://www.wired.com/2015/09/karma-police-encryption/ |access-date=March 4, 2026 |work=Wired |date=September 25, 2015}}</ref>
''The Intercept'' had hosted an archive of documents leaked by Snowden to Greenwald and Poitras. First Look deprecated the archive and laid off its associated research team in 2019, saying that their editorial priorities had changed and that they no longer reported from the archive. This marked the end of ''The Intercept''{{'s}} original vision of being a platform to report on the NSA disclosures.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tani |first=Maxwell |title=The Intercept Shuts Down Access to Snowden Trove |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-intercept-shuts-down-access-to-snowden-trove |work=The Daily Beast |date=March 14, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Barrett Brown burned the National Magazine Award he had received for his ''Intercept'' column in protest of First Look's decision to offline the Snowden archives.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 22, 2019 |title=Why Barrett Brown burned his National Magazine Award—and what he's planning next |url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/barrett-brown-burns-national-magazine-award/ |access-date=March 19, 2022 |website=The Daily Dot |language=en-US |archive-date=March 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319170214/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/barrett-brown-burns-national-magazine-award/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
===Podcasts===
====''Intercepted''==== {{Infobox podcast | title = Intercepted with Jeremy Scahill | image = Intercepted_with_Jeremy_Scahill_logo.jpg | alt = Intercepted with Jeremy Scahill logo | genre = Talk | began = January 25, 2017 | provider = First Look Media | website = {{URL|http://theintercept.com/podcasts/}} | hosting = Jeremy Scahill }}
''Intercepted'' was a weekly podcast hosted by investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill and produced by First Look Media.<ref>{{cite web |last=Maley |first=Dave |date=March 24, 2010 |title=Investigative Journalist Jeremy Scahill Wins Izzy Award for Independent Media |url=http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/news/investigative-journalist-jeremy-scahill-wins-izzy-award-for-independent-media-9362/ |access-date=April 19, 2017 |website=Ithaca College}}</ref> ''Intercepted'' was launched on January 25, 2017. It regularly featured ''The Intercept'' editor and journalist Glenn Greenwald as well as senior correspondent, author, and journalist Naomi Klein. The editor-in-chief was Betsy Reed. Music for the show was created and performed by DJ Spooky.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lawrence |first=Michael |date=March 24, 2017 |title=DJ Spooky Explains How Sound Shapes Our Understanding of Politics |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/dj-spooky-intercepted-interview/ |access-date=April 20, 2017 |website=Vice (magazine)}}</ref> The last episode was July 3, 2024. It was replaced by ''The Intercept Briefing.''
The premiere episode, on January 25, 2017, "The Clock Strikes Thirteen, Donald Trump is President" featured an interview with Seymour Hersh, who criticizes the media's response to the alleged Russian hacking of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, calling the way the media went along with the story, "outrageous".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hains |first=Tim |date=January 25, 2017 |title=Seymour Hersh: 'Outrageous' That Media Jumped On 'Russia Hacked The Election' Story |work=Real Clear Politics |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/01/25/seymour_hersh_outrageous_that_media_jumped_on_russia_hacked_the_election_story.html |access-date=April 20, 2017}}</ref>
====''Deconstructed''==== ''Deconstructed'' is a podcast hosted by ''The Intercept''{{'}}s Washington, D.C. bureau chief Ryan Grim. The show was previously hosted by British political journalist and broadcaster Mehdi Hasan for its first two years, from 2018 to 2020. Grim took over as permanent host in October 2020 when Hasan began hosting a news broadcast for Peacock.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 3, 2020 |title=Peacock Announces Shows For Mehdi Hasan and Zerlina Maxwell |url=https://www.mediaite.com/news/peacocks-news-channel-announces-primetime-shows-for-mehdi-hasan-and-zerlina-maxwell/ |access-date=October 6, 2020 |website=Mediaite |language=en}}</ref>
===''Intercept Brasil''=== In August 2016, ''The Intercept'' launched a Brazilian version, ''The Intercept Brasil'' (later renamed ''Intercept Brasil''). In June 2019, ''Intercept Brasil'' released leaked Telegram messages exchanged between judge Sergio Moro, prosecutor Deltan Dallagnol and other Operation Car Wash prosecutors.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 10, 2019 |title=Brésil: Les enquêteurs anticorruption auraient conspiré pour empêcher le retour au pouvoir de Lula |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/monde/2536843-20190610-bresil-enqueteurs-anticorruption-conspire-empecher-retour-pouvoir-lula |access-date=June 10, 2019 |website=20 Minutes |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=June 10, 2019 |title=Brazil News: Brazil's Lula convicted to keep him from 2018 election: Report |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/brazil-lula-convicted-2018-election-report-190610055731589.html |access-date=June 11, 2019 |website=Al Jazeera English}}</ref> In the wake of the reporting, the Brazilian government in January 2020 indicted Glenn Greenwald on cybercrime charges in connection with his efforts to protect his sources, the legitimacy of President Jair Bolsonaro's election was called into question, and the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil in April–June 2021 annulled former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's 2018 conviction on corruption charges.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Londoño |first1=Ernesto |last2=Casado |first2=Letícia |date=January 25, 2020 |title=Glenn Greenwald in Bolsonaro's Brazil: 'I Trigger a Lot of Their Primal Rage' |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/25/world/americas/glenn-greenwald-brazil-bolsonaro-cybercrimes.html |access-date=June 16, 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Brito |first=Ricardo |date=April 15, 2021 |title=Brazil's Supreme Court confirms decision to annul Lula convictions |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-supreme-court-confirms-decision-annul-lula-convictions-2021-04-15/ |access-date=June 16, 2021 |website=Reuters}}</ref>
===Juan M. Thompson scandal=== {{main|Juan M. Thompson}}
In February 2016, the site appended lengthy corrections to five stories by reporter Juan M. Thompson and retracted a sixth, about Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof, written over the previous year, focused on the African-American community. Shortly afterward, a note from editor Betsy Reed indicated that Thompson had been fired recently after his editors discovered "a pattern of deception" in his reporting. According to Reed, he had "fabricated several quotes in his stories and created fake email accounts that he used to impersonate people, one of which was a Gmail account in my name".<ref name="Thompson editor's note">{{cite news|last=Reed|first=Betsy|title=A Note to Readers|url=https://theintercept.com/2016/02/02/a-note-to-readers/ |url-access=registration |newspaper=The Intercept|date=February 2, 2016|access-date=February 4, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205062212/https://theintercept.com/2016/02/02/a-note-to-readers/ |archive-date=February 5, 2016}}</ref>
Reed apologized to readers and to those misquoted. She noted that some of Thompson's work, most of it using public sources, was verifiable. Editors alerted any downstream users of the affected stories, and promised to take similar action if further fabrication came to light.<ref name="Thompson editor's note" />
Thompson suggested that the greater problem was racism in the media field. He had made up pseudonyms for some of his sources, whom he described as "poor black people who didn't want their names in the public given the situations" and would not have spoken with a reporter otherwise. "[T]he journalism that covers the experiences of poor black folk and the journalism others, such as you and First Look, are used to differs drastically", he argued. He also said he had felt a need to "exaggerate my personal shit in order to prove my worth" at ''The Intercept'' given incidents of racial bias he said he had witnessed there. When ''Gawker'' published his email, Reed said those allegations had not been in the version he sent her.<ref name="Gawker Thompson story">{{cite news|last=Trotter|first=J.K.|title=Reporter Fabricated Quotes, Invented Sources at The Intercept|url=http://gawker.com/reporter-fabricated-quotes-invented-sources-at-the-int-1756672849|newspaper=Gawker|date=February 2, 2016|access-date=February 4, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204212210/http://gawker.com/reporter-fabricated-quotes-invented-sources-at-the-int-1756672849 |archive-date=February 4, 2016}}</ref>
He was fired by ''The Intercept'' in early 2016 and, according to Reed, did not cooperate with the investigation into his actions.<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news|last=Wong|first=Julia Carrie|author-link=Julia Carrie Wong |title=The Intercept admits reporter fabricated stories and quotes|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/feb/02/the-intercept-fires-reporter-juan-thompson|newspaper=The Guardian|date=February 2, 2016|access-date=December 17, 2016}}</ref>
===Reality Winner controversy=== {{main|Reality Winner#Release of classified document}}
In early June 2017, ''The Intercept'' published a National Security Agency document that asserted that Russian intelligence had successfully hacked an American voter registration and poll software company and used information culled from it to phish state election officials. The document was mailed from a source inside the NSA, who did not reveal their identity to ''Intercept'' writers.<ref name="Intercept 6-17">{{cite journal |title=Top-Secret NSA Report Details Russian Hacking Effort Days Before 2016 Election |journal=The Intercept |date=June 5, 2017 |last1=Cole |first1=Matthew |last2=Esposito |first2=Richard |last3=Biddle |first3=Sam |last4=Grim |first4=Ryan |url=https://theintercept.com/2017/06/05/top-secret-nsa-report-details-russian-hacking-effort-days-before-2016-election/ |access-date=August 12, 2017}}</ref> One hour after publication, Reality Winner, a 25-year-old NSA contract employee, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and charged under the Espionage Act of 1917.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Grynbaum|first1=Michael M.|last2=Koblin|first2=John|title=After Reality Winner's Arrest, Media Asks: Did 'Intercept' Expose a Source?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/06/business/media/intercept-reality-winner-russia-trump-leak.html|access-date=June 8, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=June 7, 2017|page=A19|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The article bolstered public suspicion that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election.{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}} The document stated that Russian intelligence had attempted to crack the log-in information of the employees of a vendor providing voter registration software and databases for states to use with their election systems.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}} It stated that the Russians were successful enough that they were able to email 122 election officials, by posing as employees of the vendor.{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}} According to David Folkenflik of National Public Radio, "[a]n ''Intercept'' reporter shared a photo of the papers with a source, a government contractor whom he trusted, seeking to validate it. The printout included a postmark of Augusta, Ga., and microdots, a kind of computerized fingerprint. The contractor told his bosses, who informed the FBI."<ref>{{cite news |website=NPR |date=June 7, 2017 |first=David |last=Folkenflik |author-link=David Folkenflik |access-date=September 24, 2020 |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/06/07/531859840/did-intercept-out-its-source|title=Did 'Intercept' Out Its Intelligence Source?}}</ref> NSA quickly identified the leaker of the documents.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.erratasec.com/2017/06/how-intercept-outed-reality-winner.html |title=How The Intercept Outed Reality Winner|first=Robert|last=Graham|date=June 6, 2017|access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref>
Verifying the legitimacy of leaked documents is common journalism practice, as is protecting third parties who may be harmed incidentally by the leak being published. However, professional media outlets who receive documents or recordings from confidential sources do not, as a practice, share the unfiltered primary evidence with a federal agency for review or verification, as it is known that metadata and unique identifiers may be revealed that were not obvious to the journalist, and the source exposed.<ref name="Nieman Reports">{{cite journal |title=When Is it Ethical to Publish Stolen Data? |journal=Nieman Reports |date=June 1, 2015 |last=Lewis |first=Helen |url=http://niemanreports.org/articles/when-is-it-ethical-to-publish-stolen-data/ |access-date=July 30, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Source 17">{{cite web |url=https://source.opennews.org/articles/how-protect-your-sources-when-releasing-sensitive-/ |title=Protecting Your Sources When Releasing Sensitive Documents |last1=Han |first1=Ted |last2=Norton |first2=Quinn |website=OpenNews/Community Partners |date=June 7, 2017 |access-date=August 12, 2017}}</ref>
According to the FBI, the evidence chain led to the arrest of Winner, a young Air Force veteran who was working in Georgia for Pluribus International Corporation, an NSA contractor, when the document was mailed to ''The Intercept''.<ref name="FBI-rlwinner">{{cite press release |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/federal-government-contractor-georgia-charged-removing-and-mailing-classified-materials-news |title=Federal Government Contractor in Georgia Charged With Removing and Mailing Classified Materials to a News Outlet |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Federal Bureau of Investigation |date=June 5, 2017 |access-date=August 12, 2017}}</ref> ''The Intercept'' was criticized for unprofessional handling of the document and indifference to the source's safety.<ref name="Mediaite">{{cite journal |title=Intercept Editors Face Mounting Criticism for Possibly Outing Leaker |journal=Nieman Reports |date=June 6, 2017 |last=McLaughlin |first=Aidan |url=https://www.mediaite.com/online/intercept-editors-face-mounting-criticism-for-reportedly-outing-leaker/ |access-date=August 12, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2017/06/the-intercepts-russian-hacking-report-also-seems-to-be-a-good-example-of-how-not-to-handle-leaks/ |first=Laura Hazard |last=Owen |date=June 6, 2017 |title=The Intercept's Russian hacking report also seems to be a good example of how not to handle leaks|website=Nieman Lab|access-date=July 7, 2017}}</ref>
Following the arrest of Winner, ''The Intercept'' released a statement saying it had "no knowledge of the identity of the person who provided us with the document". Allegations from the FBI about Winner, it added, were "unproven assertions and speculation designed to serve the government's agenda and as such warrant skepticism".<ref>{{cite news |title=Statement on Justice Department Allegations|url=https://theintercept.com/2017/06/06/statement-on-justice-department-allegations/|access-date=December 5, 2017|website=The Intercept|date=June 6, 2017}}</ref>
NSA whistleblower John Kiriakou and Guantanamo Bay detention camp whistleblower Joseph Hickman both accused Matthew Cole, the same reporter accused of revealing Winner's identity, of playing a role in their exposure, which, in Kiriakou's case, led to his imprisonment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.peterbcollins.com/2017/06/30/in-depth-interview-whistleblowers-joe-hickman-and-john-kiriakou-on-abu-zubaydeh-torture-and-a-dangerous-reporter/|title=In-Depth Interview: Whistleblowers Joe Hickman and John Kiriakou on Abu Zubaydeh, Torture and a Dangerous Reporter|date=June 30, 2017|website=The Peter Collins Show|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-tuesday-edition-1.4148070/ex-cia-whistleblower-blasts-reporters-for-not-protecting-alleged-nsa-leaker-reality-winner-1.4148075|title=Ex-CIA whistleblower blasts reporters for not protecting alleged NSA leaker Reality Winner |date=June 6, 2017|website=CBC Radio|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref>
On July 11, 2017, ''The Intercept'' announced that its parent company, First Look Media, through its Press Freedom Defense Fund, would provide $50,000 in matching funds to Stand with Reality, a crowd-funding campaign to support Winner's legal defense, plus a separate grant to engage a second law firm to assist Winner's principal attorneys, Augusta-based Bell & Brigham. Additionally, editor-in-chief Betsy Reed said, "First Look's counsel Baruch Weiss of the firm Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer may support the defense efforts while continuing to represent First Look's interests."<ref>{{cite news|last=Reed|first=Betsy|title=First Look to Support Defense of Reality Winner in Espionage Act Prosecution|url=https://theintercept.com/2017/07/11/first-look-to-support-defense-of-reality-winner-in-espionage-act-prosecution/ |url-access=registration |access-date=January 9, 2018|work=The Intertcept|date=July 11, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110060035/https://theintercept.com/2017/07/11/first-look-to-support-defense-of-reality-winner-in-espionage-act-prosecution/ |archive-date=January 10, 2018}}</ref>
On August 23, 2018, at a federal court in Georgia, Winner was sentenced to the agreed-upon five years and three months in prison for violating the Espionage Act. Prosecutors said her sentence was the longest ever imposed in federal court for an unauthorized release of government information to the media.<ref name="NYT 2018-08-23">{{cite news|last=Philipps|first=Dave|date=August 23, 2018|title=Reality Winner, Former N.S.A. Translator, Gets More Than 5 Years in Leak of Russian Hacking Report|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/23/us/reality-winner-nsa-sentence.html |url-access=subscription |work=The New York Times|access-date=November 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180824223258/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/23/us/reality-winner-nsa-sentence.html|archive-date=August 24, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Winner was held at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP)'s Federal Medical Center, Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas, to receive treatment for bulimia and be close to her family.<ref name="NYT 2018-08-23" />
Laura Poitras, one of the founding editors of ''The Intercept'', prompted by the Winner controversy, expressed her concerns about source protection and accountability at ''The Intercept'', and spoke to the press about them. Thereafter, she wrote that ''The Intercept'' chose to fire her "rather than to demote or seek the resignation of anyone responsible for the journalistic malpractice, cover-up, and retaliation".<ref name="integrity" /><ref>{{cite news|first=Sarah|last=Ellison|date=January 14, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=Laura Poitras says she's been fired by First Look Media over Reality Winner controversy. Now she's questioning the watchdog's integrity.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/laura-poitras-fired-intercept-first-look-reality-winner/2021/01/14/478a9c30-55e7-11eb-a08b-f1381ef3d207_story.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016070945/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/laura-poitras-fired-intercept-first-look-reality-winner/2021/01/14/478a9c30-55e7-11eb-a08b-f1381ef3d207_story.html |archive-date=October 16, 2023}}</ref>
===Resignation of Glenn Greenwald=== On October{{nbsp}}29, 2020, Glenn Greenwald resigned from ''The Intercept'', saying that he faced political censorship and contractual breaches from the editors, who he wrote had prevented publication of his "The Real Scandal: U.S. Media Uses Falsehoods to Defend Joe Biden From Hunter's Emails" article on coverage of the Hunter Biden laptop controversy; Greenwald pivoted to Substack to publish it independently.<ref>{{cite news|date=October 29, 2020|title=Glenn Greenwald Resigns From The Intercept, Claims He Was Censored|last1=Tani|first1=Maxwell|last2=Baragona|first2=Justin|language=en|work=The Daily Beast|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/glenn-greenwald-resigns-from-the-intercept-claims-he-was-censored|access-date=October 29, 2020}}</ref> On ''The Joe Rogan Experience'', Greenwald stated that he thinks his colleagues did not want to report anything negative about Joe Biden because they were desperate for Trump to lose.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Robertson|first=Katie|date=October 29, 2020|title=Glenn Greenwald Leaves The Intercept, Claiming He Was Censored|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/29/business/media/glenn-greenwald-leaving-intercept.html|access-date=February 6, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> ''The Intercept'' disputed Greenwald's accusations, writing, that he "believes that anyone who disagrees with him is corrupt, and anyone who presumes to edit his words is a censor", and told ''The Washington Post'', "it is absolutely not true that Glenn Greenwald was asked to remove all sections critical of Joe Biden from his article. He was asked to support his claims and innuendo about corrupt actions by Joe Biden with evidence."<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 29, 2020|title=Glenn Greenwald Resigns From The Intercept|url=https://theintercept.com/2020/10/29/glenn-greenwald-resigns-the-intercept/|access-date=October 29, 2020|last=Reed|first=Betsy|website=The Intercept|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Barr|first1=Jeremy|last2=Izadi|first2=Elahe|date=October 29, 2020|title=Glenn Greenwald resigns from the Intercept following dispute over Biden story|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2020/10/29/glenn-greenwald-intercept-resigns/|access-date=October 29, 2020|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Greenwald published his email exchange with ''The Intercept'', which, he said, showed his article on Joe Biden was censored.<ref name="emails">{{cite news |last=Greenwald |first=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Greenwald |title=Emails With Intercept Editors Showing Censorship of My Joe Biden Article |url=https://greenwald.substack.com/p/emails-with-intercept-editors-showing | access-date=January 27, 2025 |publisher=Glenn Greenwald |via=Substack |date=October 29, 2020}}</ref>
==Finances== At launch, Omidyar pledged $250 million in funding.<ref name="NYT 2020-09-13" /> The non-profit arm of First Look Media budgeted $26 million in both 2017 and 2018, according to public filings, much allocated to ''The Intercept''.<ref name="NYT 2020-09-13" /> High-profile journalists were well compensated, with Greenwald being paid $500,000 in 2015.<ref name="NYT 2020-09-13" />
''The Intercept'' was awarded a grant of $3.25 million from Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. It had only received $500,000 when Bankman-Fried went bankrupt; the shortfall in funding "will leave ''The Intercept'' with a significant hole in its budget," according to its editor-in-chief.<ref name="Reason, Soave, Nov. 21st, 2022">{{cite news|last=Soave |first=Robby |author-link=Robby Soave |title=Did Sam Bankman-Fried's Millions Buy the Media's Loyalty? |url=https://reason.com/2022/11/21/sam-bankman-fried-journalism-funding-crypto-fraud-media/ |date=November 21, 2022 |newspaper=Reason (magazine) |access-date=December 1, 2022}}</ref>
Omidyar ceased financial support in 2022.<ref name="Semafor" /> First Look Media offered a $14 million grant when ''The Intercept'' spun off. In 2023, the CEO discussed a financial pivot to small donors and major gifts. Donations doubled from $488,000 to $867,000 from 2022 to 2023, but failed to meet expenses. ''Semafor'' reported in April 2024 that the organization was losing $300,000 per month.<ref name="Semafor" /> The organization led a fundraising campaign in April 2024 which resulted in 3,500 additional recurring donors.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tameez |first=Hanna |date=2024-05-16 |title=Increasingly stress-inducing subject lines helped The Intercept surpass its fundraising goal |url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/05/increasingly-stress-inducing-subject-lines-helped-the-intercept-surpass-its-fundraising-goal/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241108151843/https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/05/increasingly-stress-inducing-subject-lines-helped-the-intercept-surpass-its-fundraising-goal/ |archive-date=November 8, 2024 |access-date=2025-07-16 |website=Nieman Lab |url-status=live}}</ref>
==Reception== In August 2014, it was reported that U.S. military personnel had been banned from reading ''The Intercept''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Gilbert|first=David|date=August 21, 2014|title=US Military Banned From Reading Glenn Greenwald's New Website|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/us-military-banned-reading-glenn-greenwalds-new-website-1462046|newspaper=International Business Times UK|access-date=August 21, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Fingas|first=Jon|date=August 20, 2014|title=US military bans staff from reading a site devoted to leaks|url=https://www.engadget.com/2014/08/20/us-military-bans-intercept/|newspaper=Engadget|access-date=April 11, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Benson|first=Thor|date=August 21, 2014|title=Military Is Banning Soldiers from Reading Documents Everyone Else Can See|url=https://mic.com/articles/96904/the-military-is-banning-soldiers-from-reading-documents-everyone-else-can-see|newspaper=Mic|access-date=April 11, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. Military Bans, Blocks The Intercept News Site|url=https://www.democracynow.org/2014/8/26/headlines/us_military_bans_blocks_the_intercept_news_site|access-date=August 26, 2017|work=Democracy Now|date=August 26, 2014}}</ref> Erik Wemple, writing for ''The Washington Post'', noted the conspicuous refusal of ''The Intercept'' to use the term "targeted killings" to refer to the U.S. drone program, instead referring to the drone strikes as "assassinations". Wemple included Glenn Greenwald's explanation that assassination is "the accurate term rather than the euphemistic term that the government wants us to use"; Greenwald further noted, "anyone who is murdered deliberately away from a battlefield for political purposes is being assassinated".<ref name="Wemple">{{cite news |last=Wemple |first=Erik |authorlink=Erik Wemple |date=February 10, 2014 |title=Glenn Greenwald and the U.S. 'assassination' program |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2014/02/10/glenn-greenwald-and-the-u-s-assassination-program |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=December 7, 2015}}</ref> ''TechCrunch'' referred to the story as clear evidence of "unabashed opposition to security hawks".<ref name="TechCrunch">{{cite news |last=Ferenstein |first=Gregory |date=February 10, 2014 |title=eBay Founder's News Site, ''The Intercept'', Launches with NSA Revelations |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/10/ebay-founders-news-site-the-intercept-launches-with-nsa-revelations |newspaper=TechCrunch |access-date=December 7, 2015}}</ref>
In February 2016, ''The Intercept'' won a National Magazine Award for columns and commentary by the writer Barrett Brown, and it was a finalist in the public interest category for a series by Sharon Lerner called the Teflon Toxin, which exposed how DuPont harmed the public and its workers with toxic chemicals.<ref>{{cite web|title=2016 National Magazine Awards|url=http://www.magazine.org/asme/2016-national-magazine-awards/|website=American Society of Magazine Editors|access-date=January 15, 2017|archive-date=January 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116173356/http://www.magazine.org/asme/2016-national-magazine-awards/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In April 2016, ''The Intercept'' won the People's Voice award for best news website at the twentieth annual Webby Awards.<ref>{{cite news|last=Spangler|first=Todd|title=Webby Awards 2016 Winners: Netflix, HBO, the Onion, Tyler Oakley, Michelle Obama Pick Up Awards |date=April 26, 2016 |url=https://variety.com/2016/digital/awards/webby-awards-2016-winners-netflix-hbo-tyler-oakley-michelle-obama-onion-1201760860/ |work=Variety|access-date=January 15, 2017}}</ref> In May 2016, ''The Intercept'' won three awards at the New York Press Club Awards for Journalism. The site was awarded in the "special event reporting" category for its investigative reporting on the U.S. drone program, the "humor" category for a series of columns by the writer Barrett Brown, and the "documentary" category for a short film called, "The Surrender"—about the former U.S. intelligence analyst Stephen Jin-Woo Kim—produced by Stephen Maing, Laura Poitras, and Peter Maass.<ref>{{cite web|title=2016 Journalism Awards Winners|url=https://www.nypressclub.org/docs/j-awards/2016-jawards-winners-news-release.pdf|website=New York Press Club|access-date=January 15, 2017|archive-date=November 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104014622/https://www.nypressclub.org/docs/j-awards/2016-jawards-winners-news-release.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the September 2016 Online News Awards, ''The Intercept'' won the University of Florida Award in Investigative Data Journalism for its Drone Papers series, an investigation of secret documents detailing a covert U.S. military overseas assassination program.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Intercept and the Orlando Sentinel Win 2016 ONA Investigative Data Journalism Awards|date=September 19, 2016|url=https://www.jou.ufl.edu/2016/09/19/intercept-orlando-sentinel-win-2016-ona-investigative-data-journalism-awards/|website=University of Florida|access-date=January 15, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Breaking News, Intercept, Quartz, New York Magazine take home 2016 Online Journalism Awards|date=September 18, 2016|url=https://journalists.org/2016/09/17/breaking-news-intercept-quartz-new-york-magazine-take-home-2016-online-journalism-awards/|website=Journalists.org|access-date=January 15, 2017}}</ref>
At the 2017 Online News Awards, ''The Intercept'' won two awards: the first for a feature story about the FBI's efforts to infiltrate the Bundy family, and the second, an investigative data journalism award for "Trial and Terror", a project documenting the people prosecuted in the U.S. for terrorism since 9/11.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mizgata|first=Jennifer|title=2017 Online Journalism Awards winners include Le Temps, The Washington Post and STAT|url=https://awards.journalists.org/2017/10/08/2017-online-journalism-awards-winners-include-le-temps-washington-post-stat/|access-date=December 5, 2017|work=Journalists.org|date=October 10, 2017|archive-date=December 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206140209/https://awards.journalists.org/2017/10/08/2017-online-journalism-awards-winners-include-le-temps-washington-post-stat/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The same year, ''The Intercept'' won a Hillman Prize for Web Journalism for an investigative series by Jamie Kalven exposing criminality within the Chicago Police Department.<ref>{{cite news|title=2017 Hillman Prizes|url=http://www.hillmanfoundation.org/hillman-prizes/2017|access-date=December 5, 2017|website=Hillman Foundation|date=June 6, 2017}}</ref> The news organization also won a 2017 award for "Outstanding Feature Story" at the sixteenth annual Awards for Reporting on the Environment.<ref name="auto">{{cite news |title=Winners: SEJ 16th Annual Awards for Reporting on the Environment |url=http://www.sej.org/winners-sej-16th-annual-awards-reporting-environment|access-date=December 5, 2017|website=Society of Environmental Journalists|date=June 6, 2017}}</ref> Judges of the environmental award praised author Sharon Lerner for her piece "The Strange Case of Tennie White", which they described as a "finely written and disturbing investigation of contamination and injustice near a chemical plant in Mississippi".<ref name="auto" />
In April 2024, ''Semafor'' reported that despite facing significant financial difficulties, ''The Intercept'' "is riding high among its readers for its aggressively pro-Palestinian coverage".<ref name="Semafor" /> In July 2025, ''Prism'' reported, "''The Intercept'' has published bold reporting on Israel's occupation and genocide that seems conspicuously absent from other publications". It wrote that ''The Intercept's'' CEO Annie Chabel identified the organization's coverage of Israel and Palestine "as a principal reason behind the publication's inability to secure large donations from philanthropic foundations". Chabel said "specific funders have told her that ''The Intercept'' is 'biased on Israel-Palestine.'"<ref name="Prism" />
==See also== * Institute for Nonprofit News (member) * {{Portal-inline|Journalism}} * {{Portal-inline|United States}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{official website}} * {{ProPublicaNonprofitExplorer|921198452|Intercept Media Inc}}
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