Editorial Policies and Procedures

At The Intercept, we strive to hold the powerful accountable with truthful and aggressive reporting. We seek to be fair in our coverage, which means allowing people or institutions a reasonable window to respond to reporters’ inquiries before publishing a story that contains significant revelations about them. It does not mean mandating “balance” when one perspective on a subject — such as the science of climate change, or the justification for a war crime — is clearly without merit.

While we recognize that writers have a point of view, we insist that they be accurate in their reporting; rigorous, comprehensive, and ethical in their methods; and transparent with readers about how they have arrived at their conclusions. And when we make mistakes, we hold ourselves accountable.

Sourcing and Attribution

The Intercept’s guidelines for reporters on the use of anonymous sources are intended to provide transparency about our sourcing whenever possible, while at the same time protecting vulnerable whistleblowers — and others who face significant risk — from retaliation.

We always prefer to attribute information directly to its source. Sometimes, however, the only way an important story can be told is by relying on the accounts of individuals who would face serious repercussions if their identities were revealed. In those cases, the reporter collaborates closely with the rest of our editorial team to ensure that the decision to grant anonymity is justified and that any reported facts are corroborated. We strive to supply readers with as many details as possible to contextualize and establish the credibility of anonymously sourced information without compromising the source.

When we receive documentary materials from a source whose identity we don’t know — such as files shared through our SecureDrop server — we seek to verify that the materials are authentic through additional reporting, including by reaching out to any people or institutions implicated by the disclosures. We will only publish documents, or stories based on them, if we are persuaded that they have public interest value independent of the source’s motivations for leaking them.

Corrections and Updates

To request a correction, send us an email at corrections@theintercept.com. Our editorial team will carefully review any potential inaccuracy before making changes to a published piece. In the event of a minor factual error, the story will be amended and the change will be noted at the bottom. Significant corrections will be noted in the headline or at the top of the story.

If new details or clarifications are added to a story after its publication, our practice is to include a note describing the update at the end of the piece.

If you would like to write a response to a story, or to request that a statement be added to a story, you may contact an editor using the email addresses available on our staff page.

Submissions

The Intercept primarily publishes journalism produced by staff reporters and columnists, but we also commission stories from freelance contributors. We most often turn to freelancers when we have a gap in coverage, or when the freelancer comes to us with a compelling investigative story or an original perspective on a subject that is in our wheelhouse.

We appreciate it when freelance journalists take the time to understand how The Intercept approaches stories and what we’ve already done in a particular area, which will be evident in a well-crafted pitch. We place a premium on originality of research, as well as analysis and viewpoint, and we seek to create real-world impact with our stories. Occasionally, we will consider submissions of completed articles or videos, but we much prefer to see a pitch first.

To submit a proposal for consideration, please email it to submissions@theintercept.com and include the subject of your pitch in the email subject line. The pitch, which should be no more than a few paragraphs, should appear in the text of an email, not as an attachment. Unless we know of your work, please explain why you are the right person to write the story, and include some links to your previously published pieces. Because of the number of submissions we receive, we can only guarantee that we will follow up if we are interested in pursuing the story. If we are interested, we will get back to you within a few days to let you know it is under consideration, and we’ll strive to make a decision on whether to accept your pitch shortly after that.

If you’re pitching to our opinion section, Voices, please put “VOICES” in the subject line of your email, along with a brief description of the pitch.

While we most often commission stories based on pitches, we also maintain a database of freelancers that we refer to when making assignments. If you’re interested in being considered for assignments, please fill out this form, where you can tell us a bit about your background and why you are well-positioned to cover your beat or beats for The Intercept.

In collaboration with the National Writers Union, The Intercept has established principles to cultivate an equitable professional relationship with its freelance contributors. Click here to read more.

Reprint Requests

For inquiries about republishing or translating our stories, please contact us at permissions@theintercept.com. You can repost the first three paragraphs of an article without requesting permission as long as you credit The Intercept at the top of the story, republish the excerpt verbatim, and link back to the original post at The Intercept.

Send Us a Tip

We are committed to publishing stories based on newsworthy leaked material. We’ve taken steps to make sure that people who have decided to become whistleblowers can share information with us as securely as possible. Please click here to learn about your options for passing on tips and documents to The Intercept’s reporters.

Gift Policy

The Intercept is a nonprofit newsroom that relies on public support to sustain our work. We accept funding from individuals, foundations, partnerships, corporations, and other organizations. Our mission depends on our independence. Editorial decisions are never based on or influenced by donors or any revenue source and we do not accept donations with any conditions that create an actual or apparent conflict of interest with our work or otherwise compromise our independence. We accept contributions for general support, coverage of broad topic areas, and specific projects. All news judgments are made independently. We do not permit supporters to assign, review, or edit any of our content, nor do we share any pre-publication material with supporters.

In the interest of transparency, we publicly disclose all supporters who have given a total of $5,000 or more and their cumulative annual giving by publishing our IRS 990 form Schedule B on our website. In cases where we are reporting on a person or entity who has contributed more than $5,000, we disclose the relationship in the story. We accept anonymous donations only in cases that adhere to this policy.

We do not accept support from government entities, political campaigns, political action committees, or political organizations as defined in Section 527 of the IRS Code.

Staff Communications Principles

At The Intercept, staff members are encouraged to engage in robust, respectful discourse with each other and with members of the public. Personal opinions expressed by individual employees do not represent the official positions of The Intercept, but employees should be aware that their public statements inevitably reflect on the organization, both in the realm of public opinion and that of law. Good judgment, honesty, and integrity should guide interactions both within the workplace and in public venues, including on social media. The Intercept welcomes a diversity of viewpoints in our newsroom and encourages staff members to address disagreements directly with colleagues rather than airing them publicly. Staff members are expected to adhere to both the letter and spirit of these guidelines and maintain civil and respectful discourse with others, including those with whom they disagree, in all social media interactions. Employees should also uphold high journalistic standards for factual accuracy in their social media commentary. There is no place for bigotry or abusive behavior by employees in our workplace or in public. It’s important to keep in mind the responsibility that comes with the power of the platforms we use to communicate and to consider the impact of our words on those less powerful.