The Intercept#Intercepted

{{Infobox website

| name = The Intercept

| logo = File:The Intercept logo.svg

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| url = {{official URL}}

| commercial = No

| type = News website

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| language = {{hlist|English|Portuguese}}

| launch_date = {{Start date and age|2014|02|10}}

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File:National Security Agency, 2013.jpg of the National Security Agency headquarters in Fort Meade first published in The Intercept]]

The Intercept is an American left-wing{{cite journal |last1=Shaikh |first1=Sonia Jawaid |last2=Moran |first2=Rachel E. |title=Recognize the bias? News media partisanship shapes the coverage of facial recognition technology in the United States |journal=New Media & Society |publisher=Sage |date=June 3, 2022 |volume=26 |issue=5 |pages=2829–2850 |doi=10.1177/14614448221090916 |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14614448221090916 |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 16, 2024}}{{cite book |last1=Perloff |first1=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.}}{{cite book |last1=Lapper |first1=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'.}} 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 staffed by a local team of Brazilian journalists.

History

The Intercept was founded by journalists Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill, and Laura Poitras.{{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}} It was launched on February 10, 2014, by First Look Media with funding by eBay co-founder Pierre Omidyar,{{cite web |title=About The Intercept |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/about |access-date=February 10, 2014 |work=About |publisher=The Intercept}}{{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}} starting with $250 million in pledged funding.{{Cite news |last1=Smith |first1=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}} The publication initially reported on documents released by Edward Snowden.{{cite web|first1=Glenn|last1=Greenwald|first2=Laura|last2=Poitras|first3=Jeremy|last3=Scahill|title=Welcome to The Intercept|url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/10/welcome-intercept|publisher=The Intercept|date=February 10, 2014|access-date=December 7, 2015}} Co-founders Greenwald and Poitras left in 2020 amid public disagreements about the leadership and direction of the organization. In January 2023 it spun off from the First Look Institute as an independent nonprofit organization.{{cite web |title=The Intercept Announces Restructuring as Independent Nonprofit Organization|url=https://theintercept.com/2023/01/09/intercept-restructuring-nonprofit/ |website=The Intercept |date=January 9, 2023 |access-date=July 17, 2023}}

The website 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.{{cite news |last1=Tani |first1=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}} 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.{{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 }}

In February 2024, The Intercept laid off 16 staff members, one-third of its newsroom.{{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}}{{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}} In April 2024, the outlet fired William Arkin and Ken Klippenstein resigned in protest.{{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 |publisher=mediaite}} In July 2024, Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim left The Intercept to found their own news website, Drop Site News.{{cite web|url=https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/this-is-an-email-i-never-thought|title=This is an email I never thought I'd be sending|first=Ryan|last=Grim|author-link=Ryan Grim|date=July 8, 2024|website=Drop Site News}} The Intercept stated it was providing startup funding for the new site, that Scahill left with the support of the outlet, and that Scahill would continue participating in podcasts.{{cite news |title=Scahill and Grim Launch New Media Outlet With The Intercept's Support |url=https://theintercept.com/2024/07/08/scahill-and-grim-launch-new-media-outlet/ |work=The Intercept |date=July 8, 2024}}

Finances

At launch, Omidyar pledged $250 million in funding. 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. Top journalists received top dollar, with Greenwald being paid $500,000 in 2015.

The Intercept was awarded a grant of $3.25 million from Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. It had only received $500,000 when Bankman-Fried went bankrupt and the shortfall in funding "will leave The Intercept with a significant hole in its budget" according to its editor-in-chief.{{cite news|last1=Soave |first1=Robby |author-link1=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}}

Omidyar ceased financial support in 2022. 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 $876,000 from 2022 to 2023, but failed to meet expenses. As of April 2024, The Intercept was burning around $300,000 a month.{{cite news |last1=Tani |first1=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 |work=Semafor |date=April 14, 2024}}

''The Intercept Brasil''

In August 2016, The Intercept launched a Brazilian version, The Intercept Brasil, edited in Portuguese, aimed at Brazilian political news, and produced by a team of Brazilian journalists. The Intercept Brasil also features translated news from the English edition.{{cite web |last=Greenwald |first=Glenn |date=August 2, 2016 |title=Welcome to The Intercept Brasil |url=https://theintercept.com/2016/08/02/welcome-to-the-intercept-brasil/ |access-date=March 11, 2017 |website=The Intercept}}

In June 2019, The Intercept Brasil released leaked Telegram messages exchanged between judge Sergio Moro, prosecutor Deltan Dallagnol and other Operation Car Wash prosecutors.{{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}}{{cite web |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 |publisher=Al Jazeera}} In the wake of the reporting, the Brazilian government in January 2020 indicted Glenn Greenwald on cybercrimes 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.{{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}}{{Cite web |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}}

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.{{cite web |last1=Maley |first1=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}} The podcast used interviews, round table discussions, and journalistic narrative to present investigative reporting, analysis, and commentary on topics such as war, national security, the media, the environment, criminal justice, government, and politics. Launched on January 25, 2017, the show often included discussion with other writers, reporters, artists, and thinkers. It regularly featured The Intercept editor and journalist Glenn Greenwald as well as senior correspondent, author, and journalist Naomi Klein. The editor-in-chief is Betsy Reed. Music for the show was created and performed by DJ Spooky.{{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)}} The last episode was July 3, 2024. It was replaced by The Intercept Briefing.{{Cite web |title=Podcasts (Subscribe links of Intercepted are to The Intercept Briefing.) |url=https://theintercept.com/podcasts/ |access-date=January 8, 2025 |website=The Intercept |language=en-US}}

The premiere episode, on January 25, 2017, "The Clock Strikes Thirteen, Donald Trump is President" features 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".{{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}}

== ''The Intercept Briefing'' ==

The Intercept Briefing is an Intercept podcast that began on November 4, 2024, replacing Intercepted, and hosts include Jessica Washington, Akela Lacy, and Jordan Uhl.{{Cite web |title=The Intercept Briefing Archives |url=https://theintercept.com/podcasts/the-intercept-briefing/ |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=The Intercept |language=en-US}}

= ''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.{{Cite web |title=A Goodbye Message from Mehdi |date=October 2, 2020 |url=https://play.acast.com/s/deconstructed/agoodbyemessagefrommehdi |via=play.acast.com}}{{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}}

=''Murderville, GA''=

Murderville, GA is hosted by Liliana Segura and Jordan Smith, who cover a series of murders in a small Georgia town and the law enforcement investigation surrounding them.

=''Somebody''=

Somebody is a podcast about a gunshot victim, Courtney Copeland, found outside a Chicago Police station, and the controversy around the official narrative.

=''American ISIS''=

American ISIS is a podcast hosted by journalist Trevor Aaronson about the life of Russell Dennison, an American convert to Islam who fought and died for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Aaronson interviewed Dennison in secret for the last two years of the latter's life.{{Cite web |date=July 15, 2021 |title=American ISIS |url=https://theintercept.com/podcasts/american-isis/ |access-date=August 13, 2021 |website=The Intercept |language=en}}

Awards

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.{{cite web|title=2016 National Magazine Awards|url=http://www.magazine.org/asme/2016-national-magazine-awards/|publisher=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}} In April 2016, The Intercept won the People's Voice award for best news website at the twentieth annual Webby Awards.{{cite web|last1=Spangler|first1=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}} 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.{{cite web|title=2016 Journalism Awards Winners|url=https://www.nypressclub.org/docs/j-awards/2016-jawards-winners-news-release.pdf|publisher=NY 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}} 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.{{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/|publisher=University of Florida|access-date=January 15, 2017}}{{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/|publisher=Journalists.org|access-date=January 15, 2017}}

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.{{cite news|last1=Mizgata|first1=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}} 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.{{cite news|title=2017 Hillman Prizes|url=http://www.hillmanfoundation.org/hillman-prizes/2017|access-date=December 5, 2017|work=Hillman Foundation|date=June 6, 2017}} The news organization also won a 2017 award for "Outstanding Feature Story" at the sixteenth annual Awards for Reporting on the Environment.{{cite news|last1=SEJ|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|work=Society of Environmental Journalists|date=June 6, 2017}} 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".

Reception

In August 2014, it was reported that members of the U.S. military had been banned from reading The Intercept.{{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}}{{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}}{{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}}{{cite news|last1=Democracy|first1=Now|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}}

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 that "anyone who is murdered deliberately away from a battlefield for political purposes is being assassinated".{{cite news |last1=Wemple |first1=Erik |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}} TechCrunch referred to the story as clear evidence of "unabashed opposition to security hawks".{{cite news |last1=Ferenstein |first1=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}}

Controversies

=Juan M. Thompson scandal=

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".{{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 }}

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.

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.{{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 }}

He was fired by The Intercept in early 2016 and, according to Reed, did not cooperate with the investigation into his actions.{{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}}

=Reality Winner controversy=

In early June 2017, The Intercept published a National Security Agency document that asserts Russian intelligence successfully hacked an American voter registration and poll software company, and used information culled to phish state election officials. The document was mailed from a source inside NSA, who did not reveal their identity to Intercept writers.{{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 }} 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.{{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}} The article bolstered public suspicion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. The document states that Russian intelligence 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. It stated that the Russians were successful enough that they were able to email 122 election officials, by posing as employees of the vendor. 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."{{cite news |publisher=NPR |date=June 7, 2017 |first=David |last=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?}} NSA quickly identified the leaker of the documents.{{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}}

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.{{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 }}{{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 |work=Source (Website) |publisher=OpenNews/Community Partners |date=June 7, 2017 |access-date=August 12, 2017 }}

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.{{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 |author=Federal Bureau of Investigation |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Federal Bureau of Investigation |date=June 5, 2017 |access-date=August 12, 2017 }} The Intercept has been criticized for unprofessional handling of the document, and indifference to the source's safety.{{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 }}{{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|work=Nieman Lab|access-date=July 7, 2017}}

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".{{cite news|last1=The|first1=Intercept|title=Statement on Justice Department Allegations|url=https://theintercept.com/2017/06/06/statement-on-justice-department-allegations/|access-date=December 5, 2017|work=The Intercept|date=June 6, 2017}}

NSA whistleblower John Kiriakou and Guantanamo Bay detention camp whistleblower Joseph Hickman have both accused the same reporter accused of revealing Winner's identity, Matthew Cole, of playing a role in their exposure, which, in Kiriakou's case, led to his imprisonment.{{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|publisher=The Peter Collins Show|access-date=March 27, 2018}}{{cite web|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|publisher=CBC Radio|access-date=March 27, 2018}}

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, wrote editor-in-chief Betsy Reed, "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."{{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 }}

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.{{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}} 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.

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 it chose to fire her "rather than to demote or seek the resignation of anyone responsible for the journalistic malpractice, cover-up, and retaliation".{{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 }}{{Cite web|title=Praxis Films|url=https://www.praxisfilms.org/open-letter-from-laura-poitras/|access-date=January 14, 2021|website=praxisfilms.org}}

=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.{{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}} 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.{{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}} 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."{{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}}{{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}} Greenwald published his email exchange with The Intercept, which, he said, showed his article on Joe Biden was censored.{{cite news |last1=Greenwald |first1=Glenn |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 |work=Glenn Greenwald |date=October 29, 2020}}