The Intercept is a left wing news website financially supported by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. It was co-founded in 2014 by left wing journalist Jeremy Scahill, lawyer and journalist Glenn Greenwald, and documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras. In 2020, Greenwald resigned from the publication citing the outlet’s refusal to run an article critical of Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden.⁹ Several of the reporters and leadership working for The Intercept also have affiliations with left wing journalism and media outlets.

History

The Intercept was co-founded in 2014 by lawyer and journalist Glenn Greenwald, documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras, and left-wing journalist Jeremy Scahill. In 2013, Poitras and Greenwald had assisted former NSA contractor Edward Snowden in his effort to release top secret information regarding the U.S. government’s electronic surveillance programs; Snowden later relocated to the Russian Federation, and Poitras made a film glorifying the defector, Citizenfour. The Intercept was designed as a platform to continue reporting and investigations. As of October 2018, the website lists a staff of nearly 60 reporters and other employees. ⁹

Editorial Agenda

The Intercept’s investigations, content, and commentary focus on domestic politics and policy from a far-left perspective, while its coverage of national security is infused with strong anti-American and pro-Russian views, skepticism toward American overseas intervention, and Western governments’ use of secret information in national security operations. Reporting classified Western national security information, often provided to the Intercept by sources who may have broken laws to obtain it, is a regular feature on the news site.

Environmentalist Socialism

Coverage and commentary on The Intercept regularly promotes the theory that capitalism is the cause of is catastrophic climate change swiftly making much of the planet dangerous to inhabit  and that replacing capitalism with Soviet-style state ownership of the economy is the solution.

The title of an August 2018 essay written by senior correspondent Naomi Klein is “Capitalism Killed Our Climate Momentum, Not “Human Nature.”” It retraces the history of the global warming movement through the 1980s, and also the rise of international trade agreements and the liberalization of global markets and capital, arguing that freer markets killed what she believes was the momentum to save the planet. Her conclusion is that most or all of modern civilization must end: ¹⁵

Bias against Republicans

Partisan Republican causes and free-market organizations routinely receive skeptical coverage and analysis from the Intercept.

During confirmation hearings and debates regarding Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Intercept produced dozens of highly critical commentaries and podcasts supporting left-wing claims that Kavanaugh had committed sexual misconduct in his youth. ²⁷

Omidyar initially pledged $50 million to launch First Look Media in 2013. ³⁴ Other online publications that accepted donations from Building a Stronger Future include Vox Media, Semafor, and The Intercept. ⁹

Jeremy Scahill is a founding editor of the Intercept, he is now the senior investigative reporter. He was previously the national security correspondent for The Nation and Democracy Now!⁴²

1. Greenwald, Glenn. “My Resignation From The Intercept.” Greenwald. Greenwald, October 29, 2020. https://greenwald.substack.com/p/my-resignation-from-the-intercept.
2. Holleman, Joe. “Reporter/St. Louis native fired for ‘pattern of deception’ at online news site.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. February 3, 2016. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/columns/joe-holleman/reporter-st-louis-native-fired-for-pattern-of-deception-at/article_877c9a86-153e-59ff-ac42-2a3f680783f2.html 
3. “In-Depth Interview: Whistleblowers Joe Hickman and John Kiriakou on Abu Zubaydeh, Torture and a Dangerous Reporter.” The Peter Collins Show. June 30, 2017. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://www.peterbcollins.com/2017/06/30/in-depth-interview-whistleblowers-joe-hickman-and-john-kiriakou-on-abu-zubaydeh-torture-and-a-dangerous-reporter/
4. Klein, Naomi. “Capitalism Killed Our Climate Momentum, Not “Human Nature.”” The Intercept. August 3, 2018. Accessed October 3, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2018/08/03/climate-change-new-york-times-magazine/
5. Scahill, Jermey. “Intercepted Podcast: Mike Pence is the Koch Brothers’ Manchurian Candidate.” The Intercept. October 25, 2017. Accessed October 3, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2017/10/25/intercepted-podcast-mike-pence-is-the-koch-brothers-manchurian-candidate/
6. Dayen, David. “TOM CARPER’S 40-YEAR RECORD OF DEFENDING BANKS IS BEING CHALLENGED BY KERRI HARRIS IN A DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.” The Intercept. August 22, 2018. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2018/08/22/tom-carper-delaware-primary-banks/
7. Greenwald, Glenn. “On WikiLeaks, Journalism, and Privacy: Reporting on the Podesta Archive Is an Easy Call.” The Intercept. October 13, 2016. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2016/10/13/on-wikileaks-journalism-and-privacy-reporting-on-the-podesta-archive-is-an-easy-call/; and Greenwald, Glenn. “The DNC’S Lawsuit Against WikiLeaks Poses a Serious Threat to Press Freedom.” The Intercept. April 20, 2018. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2018/04/20/the-dncs-lawsuit-against-wikileaks-poses-a-serious-threat-to-press-freedom/
8. “Betsy Reed.” The Intercept. Accessed October 3, 2018. https://theintercept.com/staff/betsyreed/
9. First Look Media Works, IRS Form 990, 2015.
10. “About The Intercept.” The Intercept. Accessed October 3, 2018. https://theintercept.com/about/
11. Maidment, Jack. “The Marx Brothers: Jeremy Corbyn Joins John McDonnell in Praising Communist Icon’s Work.” The Telegraph. May 08, 2017. Accessed October 04, 2018. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/08/marx-brothers-jeremy-corbyn-joins-john-mcdonnell-praising-communist/.
12. Aronoff, Kate. “Is Nationalization an Answer to Climate Change?” The Intercept. September 8, 2018. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2018/09/08/jeremy-corbyn-labour-climate-change/
13. “About Us.” Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://us.boell.org/categories/who-we-are
14. Scahill, Jeremy. “The Assassination Complex.” The Intercept. October 15, 2015. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://theintercept.com/drone-papers/the-assassination-complex/
15. Scahill, Jermey; and Glenn Greenwald. “THE NSA’S SECRET ROLE IN THE U.S. ASSASSINATION PROGRAM” The Intercept. February 10, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2018.
16. Maass, Peter. “Our Silence Will Serve No One” — Alumni of Brett Kavanaugh’s High School Urge Graduates to Share Information About Sexual Assaults.” The Intercept. September 29, 2018. Accessed October 3, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2018/09/29/our-silence-will-serve-no-one-alumni-of-brett-kavanaughs-high-school-urge-graduates-to-share-information-about-sexual-assaults/
17. Gray, Briahna; and Camille Baker. “The Unbearable Dishonesty of Brett Kavanaugh.” The Intercept. September 29, 2018. Accessed October 3, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2018/09/29/the-unbearable-dishonesty-of-brett-kavanaugh/
18. Scahill, Jeremy. “Raging Bullshit: The Injustice of Brett Kavanaugh and His Enablers.” The Intercept. October 2, 2018. Accessed October 3, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2018/10/03/raging-bullshit-the-injustice-of-brett-kavanaugh-and-his-enablers/
19. Fang, Lee; and Nick Surgery. “Koch Document Reveals Laundry List of Policy Victories Extracted From the Trump Administration.” The Intercept. February 25, 2018. Accessed October 3, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2018/02/25/koch-brothers-trump-administration/
20. Mazzetti, Mark, and Katie Benner. “12 Russian Agents Indicted in Mueller Investigation.” The New York Times. July 13, 2018. Accessed October 04, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/13/us/politics/mueller-indictment-russian-intelligence-hacking.html.
21. Stanglin, Doug. “WikiLeaks Says Break Likely Today in Snowden Case.” USA Today. July 10, 2013. Accessed October 04, 2018. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/07/10/edward-snowden-nsa-wikileaks-asylum-leak/2504839/.
22. Greenwald, Glenn. “On WikiLeaks, Journalism, and Privacy: Reporting on the Podesta Archive Is an Easy Call.” The Intercept. October 13, 2016. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2016/10/13/on-wikileaks-journalism-and-privacy-reporting-on-the-podesta-archive-is-an-easy-call/
23. Greenwald, Glenn. “The DNC’S Lawsuit Against WikiLeaks Poses a Serious Threat to Press Freedom.” The Intercept. April 20, 2018. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2018/04/20/the-dncs-lawsuit-against-wikileaks-poses-a-serious-threat-to-press-freedom/
24. Medina, Daniel A. “DSA’S JULIA SALAZAR IS HEADED TO THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE.” The Intercept. September 15, 2018. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2018/09/15/julia-salazar-new-york-senate-dsa/
25. Dayen, David. “NANCY PELOSI PROMISES THAT DEMOCRATS WILL HANDCUFF THE DEMOCRATIC AGENDA IF THEY RETAKE THE HOUSE.” The Intercept. September 4, 2018. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2018/09/04/nancy-pelosi-2018-midterms-democrats/
26. Aronoff, Kate. “DNC PRETENDS RESPECT FOR WORKERS REQUIRES IT TO TAKE CORPORATE PAC MONEY FROM BIG OIL.” The Intercept. August 13, 2018. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2018/08/13/dnc-fossil-fuel-donations-climate-change/
27. First Look Media Works, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2016, Part III Line 4a
28. First Look Media. “Pierre Omidyar Provides Initial Funding Of $50M To Establish First Look Media.” PR Newswire. December 19, 2013. Accessed October 05, 2018. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pierre-omidyar-provides-initial-funding-of-50m-to-establish-first-look-media-236572681.html.
29. “Clarification: Omidyar Group Provides Funding To First Look Media, ‘Honolulu Civil Beat’.” MediaPost. August 29, 2013. Accessed October 05, 2018. https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/319333/clarification-omidyar-group-provides-funding-to-f.html.
30. “Ex-CIA whistleblower blasts reporters for not protecting alleged NSA leaker Reality Winner.” CBC Radio. June 6, 2017. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://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
31. Cole, Matthew; Richard Esposito, Sam Biddle, and Ryan Grim. “TOP-SECRET NSA REPORT DETAILS RUSSIAN HACKING EFFORT DAYS BEFORE 2016 ELECTION.” The Intercept. June 5, 2017. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2017/06/05/top-secret-nsa-report-details-russian-hacking-effort-days-before-2016-election/
32. Wemple, Erik. “Did the Intercept bungle the NSA leak?” The Washington Post. June 6, 2017. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2017/06/06/did-the-intercept-bungle-nsa-leak/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.922c5097b5b2
33. Sacks, David (@DavidSacks). “How many publications did SBF bribe?” Twitter, November 18, 2022. https://twitter.com/DavidSacks/status/1593724962195607553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1593724962195607553%7Ctwgr%5E082b3a39c38e09b2206d4b3cfe74f5d1a471e5b2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdailyheadlineslive.com%2Feconomy%2Fafter-multimillion-sbf-grants-the-intercept-calls-for-donations-on-hold%2F
34. Economy. “After Multimillion-SBF Grants, the Intercept Calls for Donations ‘on Hold’.” Daily Headlines Live, November 19, 2022. https://dailyheadlineslive.com/economy/after-multimillion-sbf-grants-the-intercept-calls-for-donations-on-hold/#:~:text=The%20Intercept%20is%20one%20of%20several%20media%20outlets,reporting%20so%20far%20%E2%80%9Con%20biosafety%20and%20pandemic%20prevention.%E2%80%9D
35. Cockburn. “ProPublica to return SBF cash — will other outlets follow suit?” The Spectator, December 21, 2022. https://thespectator.com/topic/propublica-return-sbf-cash-semafor-vox-intercept-follow-suit/
36. Yaffe-bellany, David. “Embattled Crypto Exchange FTX Files for Bankruptcy.” The New York Times. The New York Times, November 11, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/11/business/ftx-bankruptcy.html.
37. Ramey, Corrine, James Fanelli, Dave Michaels, Alexander Saeedy, and Vicky Ge Huang. “FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried Charged with Criminal Fraud, Conspiracy.” The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, December 15, 2022. https://www.wsj.com/articles/ftxs-sam-bankman-fried-charged-with-criminal-fraud-conspiracy-11670951131.
38. Rogoswami. “Sam Bankman-Fried Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges in New York.” CNBC. CNBC, January 3, 2023. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/03/sam-bankman-fried-pleads-not-guilty-to-fraud-charges-in-new-york.html
39. “Jeremy Scahill.” The Intercept. Accessed October 3, 2018.  https://theintercept.com/staff/jeremy-scahill/
40. Reed, Betsy. “Naomi Klein to Cover Shocks of Trump Era for the Intercept.” The Intercept. February 13, 2017. Accessed October 3, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2017/02/13/naomi-klein-to-cover-shocks-of-trump-era-for-the-intercept/
41. “Lee Fang.” The Intercept. Accessed October 3, 2018. https://theintercept.com/staff/leefang/
42. “Kate Aronoff.” The Intercept. Accessed October 3, 2018. https://theintercept.com/staff/kate-aronoff/