We’re falling behind at a terrible moment

The largest newspaper chain in the U.S. just announced the latest wave of newsroom layoffs in an industry that’s been hammered over the last decade.

Gannett had already slashed newsroom jobs by almost 20 percent since November 2020, and at least another 80 journalists were laid off just last month. It’s devastating news, not only for Gannett and the newspaper industry but also for democracy.

But the harsh reality is that quality journalism simply isn’t profitable, and it never has been. It has always required a subsidy from other sources of revenue, whether that’s from advertisements or — like The Intercept — reader donations.

The Intercept is not immune to the market pressures that have caused job losses at other news outlets. Our specialized investigative reporting is expensive, requiring top-notch journalists and data experts, stringent security measures, and time-consuming public records litigation — all costs that continue to rise with inflation.

Unfortunately, with crucial midterm elections approaching, donations so far are lagging behind the pace we need to hit our September 30 fundraising goal.

Facing rising costs and other financial pressures, we’re asking our readers: Will you donate to support the hard-hitting investigative journalism of The Intercept?

Journalism requires slow, painstaking work. For every investigative scoop, there are countless hours spent tracking down leads, following up with sources, and confirming, double-confirming, and triple-confirming facts before a story sees the light of day.

All that time and effort is costly. It can’t be outsourced, downsized, or replaced by artificial intelligence.

While the newspaper industry has been funded primarily through ads and subscriptions, The Intercept was founded with a different model. Rather than relying on ever-shrinking advertising revenue or hiding our journalism behind a paywall, we fund our journalism in large part through grassroots donations from readers like you.

It’s a gamble: We are betting that by producing the highest-quality investigative journalism — and being transparent and direct with readers about the cost of this work — we can persuade readers to step up and provide the resources needed to survive.

We know that not everyone has the means to donate in these difficult times. But if you do, your donation will help keep The Intercept available to all, not just those who can afford an expensive subscription. As a publication founded to hold the powerful accountable, we think that’s only right.

Here’s where the rubber hits the road: The Intercept is falling short of goals we’d set for membership fundraising this month, and we’re coming to you now to ask you to help fill that gap.

If you can afford it — and no amount is too small — please chip in today. Because journalism doesn’t pay for itself, and if readers don’t support it, someday it will be gone.

STAND WITH THE INTERCEPT →