The Intercept
The Intercept is an independent, reader-supported nonprofit newsroom founded in 2014 that publishes investigative journalism on government, civil liberties, and corporate accountability via its website, newsletters, and the Intercept Briefing podcast for a general audience of news readers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Intercept does
The Intercept is an independent, nonprofit investigative news organization founded in 2014 and operating as a 501(c)(3) since 2023, headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. It publishes original reporting on government accountability, civil liberties, war, criminal justice, corporate malfeasance, and technology, distributed through a free, no-paywall website (theintercept.com), an email and SMS newsletter, and a flagship podcast (The Intercept Briefing) carried on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The organization also operates SecureDrop for anonymous whistleblower submissions and the Press Freedom Defense Fund as an advocacy initiative, with an editorial leadership team led by Editor-in-Chief Ben Muessig and Managing Editor Maia Hibbett alongside multiple staff writers.
The underlying technology stack is a digital publishing platform rather than a software product, augmented by third-party integrations: Salesforce for donor data management, ActionKit for donation-page infrastructure, and SecureDrop for source intake. The Intercept was co-founded by Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill, Laura Poitras, and Cecília Oliveira and was hosted by First Look Institute from 2014 until spinning out as an independent nonprofit in 2023.
Revenue is generated entirely through reader donations and memberships rather than advertising or paid subscriptions. The pricing model is voluntary contribution with suggested tiers of $5, $8, $10, $15, $25, $50, and $100, available as one-time or recurring monthly gifts, with donations over $5,000 publicly disclosed on IRS 990 forms. Foundation and institutional grants provide a secondary funding stream, and a firewall in the Salesforce contract limits third-party data disclosure of donor information. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer and community-led, relying on newsletter subscriptions, podcast listenership, and social channels (X, Bluesky, Facebook, LinkedIn) to drive donation conversion.
The Intercept firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Intercept
- Legal name
- The Intercept Media Inc.
- Website
- https://theintercept.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Intercept is an independent, reader-supported nonprofit newsroom founded in 2014 that publishes investigative journalism on government, civil liberties, and corporate accountability via its website, newsletters, and the Intercept Briefing podcast for a general audience of news readers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Intercept industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Investigative Journalism
- akta.pro primary industry
- Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)
Keywords
Where The Intercept is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Intercept business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Individual Donations and Memberships: The Intercept operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through individual reader donations and memberships. The publication offers one-time and recurring monthly donation options at various price points ($5-$100). No corporate advertising revenue.
- Foundation and Institutional Support: The Intercept accepts funding from foundations, organizations, and institutional partners. All donors giving $5,000 or more are publicly disclosed on IRS 990 forms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | One-time or monthly donations from $5 to $100+ |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Intercept product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Intercept is an independent nonprofit investigative news organization that publishes original journalism on politics, war, government accountability, civil liberties, criminal justice, technology, and corporate malfeasance. All content is provided free to readers with no paywall, funded primarily through reader donations and memberships. The publication operates a main news website, a flagship podcast (The Intercept Briefing), email and SMS newsletters, and a SecureDrop whistleblower tip submission platform.
Product overview
The Intercept operates as a single unified nonprofit news organization offering investigative journalism content primarily through its main website publication, supplemented by a flagship podcast (The Intercept Briefing), email and SMS newsletters, and a secure whistleblower submission platform (SecureDrop). The organization also maintains a Press Freedom Defense Fund and operates a reader-supported membership/donation program as its primary revenue model. The publication focuses on investigative reporting across topics including politics, justice, war, civil liberties, and government accountability.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Intercept Briefing: The Intercept's podcast featuring interviews and analysis on current events and investigative journalism.
Products and services
- The Intercept (Main News Publication) Independent nonprofit investigative journalism publication covering politics, justice, war, civil liberties, technology, criminal justice, and government accountability. Free access for all readers with no paywall.
- The Intercept Briefing (Podcast)
Companies that use The Intercept
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Intercept technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
The Intercept partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Freedom of the Press FoundationminorThe Intercept partnered with Freedom of the Press Foundation on investigative reporting projects, including coverage of press freedom issues and government transparency.
- National Writers UnionminorThe Intercept collaborated with the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project to establish principles for equitable relationships with freelance contributors, covering payment terms, intellectual property rights, and working conditions.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Intercept competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- The Markup: The Markup is a nonprofit newsroom focused on technology and its impact on society. Comparable nonprofit investigative model and reader-supported funding, with overlapping technology accountability coverage with The Intercept.
- Type Investigations: Type Investigations (formerly The Investigative Fund) is a nonprofit investigative reporting incubator. Comparable nonprofit investigative journalism infrastructure and donor-supported model, though smaller in scale than The Intercept.
Broad incumbents
- NPR: NPR is a large nonprofit news organization with extensive investigative journalism across politics, civil liberties, and government. Comparable nonprofit structure and donor/membership-supported model at much greater scale.
- The Guardian (U.S.): The Guardian U.S. is a major news outlet with significant investigative reporting and a reader-supported funding model. Broader newsroom with overlapping accountability coverage and similar reliance on reader donations.
Direct peers
- Center for Public Integrity: Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit investigative news organization focused on government accountability and corruption. Closely comparable donor-funded nonprofit investigative news model.
- ProPublica: ProPublica is the leading U.S. nonprofit investigative newsroom, funded by donations and foundations with no paywall. Directly comparable to The Intercept in mission, funding model, and investigative scope.
- The Marshall Project: The Marshall Project is a nonprofit newsroom covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Comparable nonprofit investigative model, donor-funded structure, and focus on accountability journalism similar to The Intercept's criminal justice beat.
- Mother Jones: Mother Jones is a nonprofit investigative magazine focused on government accountability, politics, and social justice. Comparable donor-supported nonprofit news model and similar editorial positioning to The Intercept.
Others
- Freedom of the Press Foundation: Freedom of the Press Foundation is a nonprofit supporting press freedom and secure communications for journalists. Adjacent to The Intercept's mission; The Intercept has a documented partnership with this organization on press freedom reporting.
- First Look Institute: First Look Institute is the former fiscal sponsor of The Intercept and a nonprofit media organization supporting investigative journalism. Historically and structurally linked to The Intercept's operations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Intercept social profiles
Digital presenceThe Intercept financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Intercept leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
The Intercept funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Intercept M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Intercept
What does The Intercept do?
The Intercept is an independent nonprofit investigative news organization that publishes original journalism on politics, war, government accountability, civil liberties, criminal justice, technology, and corporate malfeasance. All content is provided free to readers with no paywall, funded primarily through reader donations and memberships. The publication operates a main news website, a flagship podcast (The Intercept Briefing), email and SMS newsletters, and a SecureDrop whistleblower tip submission platform.
Is The Intercept a public or private company?
The Intercept is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Intercept founded?
The Intercept was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Intercept based?
The Intercept is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Intercept make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations and Memberships are the primary driver. The others are foundation and Institutional Support.
Who are The Intercept's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are The Markup and Type Investigations. Broad incumbents are NPR and The Guardian (U.S.). Direct peers are Center for Public Integrity, ProPublica, The Marshall Project and Mother Jones. Others are Freedom of the Press Foundation and First Look Institute.
Does The Intercept have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Intercept.
What industry is The Intercept in?
The Intercept's product category is Online Investigative Journalism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAF, Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations.