Can a news organization survive its own internal wars and financial instability?

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded in 2014 with $250 million in pledged funding, The Intercept emerged as a powerhouse for investigative journalism. Yet, the nonprofit has faced a turbulent decade marked by high-profile staff departures, allegations of source mishandling, and a desperate search for a sustainable financial model as its original backing evaporated.

Launched by Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill, and Laura Poitras with support from eBay co-founder Pierre Omidyar, The Intercept initially focused on publishing Edward Snowden’s surveillance disclosures. The organization quickly gained prestige for its investigative work, winning numerous awards for reporting on the U.S. drone program, environmental contamination, and police misconduct. However, its editorial independence has been frequently tested by internal friction and controversies regarding its journalistic practices.

The outlet’s reputation for source protection suffered a significant blow in 2017 following the arrest of Reality Winner, an NSA contractor who leaked a document to the site. Critics argued that the publication’s handling of the document—specifically sharing a physical copy with a government contractor for verification—led directly to the leaker's identification and subsequent five-year prison sentence. Founding editor Laura Poitras later publicly criticized the organization’s leadership for failing to address what she termed journalistic malpractice and retaliation, ultimately leading to her departure.

Financial challenges have further destabilized the publication. After Omidyar ceased funding in 2022, The Intercept spun off from the First Look Institute to become an independent nonprofit. Despite efforts to pivot toward small-donor fundraising, the organization has struggled to cover its expenses, with reports in 2024 indicating a monthly loss of $300,000. This fiscal pressure has coincided with internal power struggles, mass layoffs, and the departure of key figures like Scahill and Ryan Grim, who left to launch their own venture, Drop Site News, in 2024.

Today, The Intercept continues to produce investigative reporting, including recent exposés on government surveillance and corporate contracts. Yet, the organization remains in a state of flux, balancing its mission of progressive, adversarial journalism against the realities of a shrinking budget and a fractured internal culture. Whether it can maintain its influence as an independent entity remains a central question for its future.

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