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THE INTERCEPT MEDIA INC

NEW YORK, NY · EIN 921198452 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A30 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M) · theintercept.com
revenue
$5.6M
expenses
$9.5M
net assets
$3.8M
employees
56
volunteers
5
program ratio
70%
mission · from form 990

THE INTERCEPT MEDIA, INC. IS THE PUBLISHER OF THE INTERCEPT, A NEWS ORGANIZATION THAT EDUCATES THE PUBLIC THROUGH ITS INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM WITH A FOCUS ON ENVIRONMENT, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, NATIONAL SECURITY, TECHNOLOGY AND IMMIGRATION. DURING 2024, THE INTERCEPT PURSUED ITS TRADEMARK MIX OF DEEP INVESTIGATIONS, HARD HITTING SCOOPS AND INCISIVE ANALYSIS.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Intercept Media Inc is a nonprofit news organization that publishes investigative journalism to educate the public. It focuses on issues including environment, criminal justice, national security, technology, and immigration. The organization operates primarily in the United States and reaches a global audience through its digital platform.

named programs · 2 · from sources

What they call their work

Investigative Journalism
Produces in-depth investigative reporting on topics including national security, criminal justice, technology, and the environment
Public Accountability Reporting
Covers government actions, policy decisions, and institutional power with a focus on transparency and civil liberties
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Nonprofit Investigative & Community Journalism 3 activities
    • Conducts accountability reporting leading to legal and policy reforms
      Produces investigative journalism that has resulted in exonerations, legal reforms, and new legislation by uncovering wrongful convictions, false alibis, and institutional cover-ups in criminal cases such as those involving Edna Franklin and Charles Raby.
    • Produces and distributes original investigative journalism content
      Creates and publishes investigative reports, opinion pieces, and analysis across a range of issue areas through staff reporters, columnists, and freelance contributors. Distributes content via website and newsletter to inform the public on underreported stories.
    • Produces investigative journalism on national security, civil liberties, and government accountability
      Conducts in-depth investigative reporting on topics including national security, surveillance programs, government leaks, and intelligence agency practices, often based on leaked documents and source disclosures. This includes work stemming from Edward Snowden’s disclosures and analysis of government leak investigations.
  • Geopolitical Media Analysis and Reporting 1 activity
    • Covers international affairs and geopolitical conflicts
      Publishes investigative reporting on global issues including Israel’s war on Gaza, Iran’s military strategies, and Germany’s immigration enforcement policies. Analyzes media bias in coverage of international conflicts and documents humanitarian crises such as famine in Gaza.
  • Free Expression Defense & Advocacy 1 activity
    • Defends press freedom and First Amendment rights through advocacy
      Engages in advocacy for independent journalism by publishing commentary against congressional investigations into reporters, leading coalitions to file amicus briefs in key legal cases, and defending journalists' rights to publish in the public interest.
  • Immigrant Rights Advocacy & Policy Reform 1 activity
    • Exposes misconduct and systemic failures in criminal justice and immigration enforcement
      Investigates abuses by ICE and other law enforcement agencies, including vehicle stop protocols, use of force during raids, body camera deactivation, detention center conditions, and flawed deportation policies. Publishes findings based on leaked emails, internal documents, and video analysis.
  • Open Research Infrastructure & Publishing 1 activity
    • Maintains journalistic integrity and ethical publication standards
      Follows rigorous editorial practices including evaluating leaked materials for public interest, providing subjects an opportunity to respond before publication, issuing corrections with transparency, and assessing risks related to source safety and legal exposure.
  • Professional Certification and Continuing Education 1 activity
    • Provides training and operational support to newsrooms
      Offers industry-wide training programs on source protection, protest coverage, digital security, and legal compliance. Co-runs a Compliance Assurance Program with the Vance Center’s Lawyers for Reporters and applies risk-assessment models to enhance journalist safety and newsroom resilience.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Investigates public health and healthcare system failures
      Examines structural flaws in the U.S. healthcare system, particularly during the pandemic, and investigates environmental health impacts such as cancer clusters linked to oil drilling. Also reports on misuse of public health data by private contractors like Palantir.
    • Reports on military, veteran, and defense policy issues
      Investigates U.S. military operations, suicide rates among service members, ammunition trafficking, and the impact of foreign aid reductions. Includes detailed data analysis on Air Force suicides and links between U.S. military supplies and cartel violence in Mexico.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$5.60M
Contributions & grants$5.36M96%
Program service revenue$73K1%
Investment income$168K3%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$9.52M
Program expenses70%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising15%
Salaries & benefits$6.77M
Grants paid out$280K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.96M
Cash$2.61M
Investments$0
Liabilities$114K
Net assets$3.85M
Liquid reserves3.3 mo
2 years on record · 2023–2024 · YoY revenue -70.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 11
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
ANNIE CHABEL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 40 $333K
DAVID BRALOW SECRETARY - GENERAL COUNSEL 40 $276K
ROGER HODGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 40 $267K
JAMES RISEN SR. NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT 40 $226K
SMRITI AGGARWAL CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER 40 $204K
MICHAEL SHERRARD CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER 40 $204K
MIROSLAV MACALA CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 40 $200K
LILIANA SEGURA SENIOR REPORTER 40 $178K
JORDAN M SMITH SENIOR REPORTER 40 $165K
BEN MUESSIG EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 40 $165K
CELINE PISER SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT 40 $157K
board members · 5
  • ADAM GUNTHER — TREASURER
  • MARIA RESSA — DIRECTOR
  • MICHAEL D MANN — DIRECTOR
  • PAT CHRISTEN — CHAIR
  • SUSAN SMITH RICHARDSON — DIRECTOR
relationships · 14

Who they work with

  • Alexander Gorski Partner — German lawyer representing Bob Vylan frontman Pascal Robinson-Foster, providing legal analysis and commentary for The Intercept's reporting.
  • Ben Crump Partner — Featured legal representation in coverage of the death of Nolan Wells.
  • BreakThrough News Partner — Defended in coverage against congressional investigation
  • Celine Piser Partner — Chief Philanthropy Officer leading fundraising strategy at The Intercept.
  • First Look Institute Government — Served as The Intercept's fiscal sponsor from founding in 2014 until it became an independent 501(c)(3) in 2023.
  • Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Government — Joint U.S.-Israeli organization managing food distribution in Gaza, documented in reporting on famine conditions.
  • German Federal Police Government — Source of official documents and decisions regarding entry bans, subject of investigative reporting by The Intercept.
  • INN (Institute for Nonprofit News) Network — Member of the INN network, as indicated by the INN member badge on the website.
  • Intercepted Network — Hosts the podcast Murderville, Texas as part of The Intercept's podcast network.
  • National Writers Union Partner — Collaborates to establish equitable professional principles for freelance contributors.
  • Proton Mail Partner — Email hosted by Proton Mail to support encrypted communication with sources.
  • Rev. Al Sharpton Partner — Participated in press conference covered in reporting on the death of Nolan Wells.
  • The Intercept Media, Inc. Network — Member organization producing content under The Intercept brand.
  • Vance Center’s Lawyers for Reporters Partner — Jointly runs the Compliance Assurance Program to provide legal and operational security support to newsrooms.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Adversarial Accountability Journalism
    methodology: adversarial_journalism
    By employing adversarial reporting methods—including whistleblower protection, anonymous sourcing, and direct engagement with state actors—the organization checks power and advances justice because rigorous exposure of corruption and policy contradictions undermines institutional impunity.
  • Amplification of Marginalized and Local Voices
    methodology: amplifying_marginalized_voices
    By centering perspectives from marginalized communities and frontline witnesses in conflict zones, the organization challenges dominant media narratives because lived experience and local documentation provide credible counter-evidence to official accounts.
  • Investigative Journalism as Civic Action
    methodology: civic-action_journalism
    By conducting rigorous investigative journalism on systemic issues, the organization drives civic action and political change because exposing power abuses and institutional failures enables public accountability and mobilizes reform.
  • Reader-Supported Editorial Independence
    methodology: reader-supported_journalism
    By relying on reader support rather than corporate or institutional funding, the organization maintains editorial independence because financial autonomy protects journalistic integrity against political and commercial pressure.
  • Systemic Analysis Over Scapegoating
    methodology: systemic-analysis-over-scapegoating
    By focusing investigative reporting on systemic failures rather than individual wrongdoing, the organization produces deeper public understanding of root causes because structural critiques shift narratives from blame to institutional reform.