Instead of taking a risk on difficult, time-consuming stories, today too many reporters are stitching together poorly paid freelance gigs in a desperate attempt to make ends meet.
And with 2020 already a record year for newsroom layoffs, thousands of talented journalists are leaving the profession entirely.
But even as other outlets are forced to abandon original reporting, The Intercept is building a global network of talent — writers, editors, photographers, and more — and giving them the resources they need to tell stories that will otherwise go untold.
The Intercept’s public commitment to treat freelancers fairly, the result of discussions facilitated by the National Writers Union, is so unusual that it’s made headlines. But to really challenge the status quo, we must empower journalists to take risks and keep digging until they uncover the truth.
Journalism was in trouble long before 2020. Forced to tighten their belts, legacy outlets have slashed reporting budgets to the bone and replaced genuine journalism with cheaper “content” to fill the space between ads.
A democracy needs watchdogs that hold politicians and corporations accountable. But the collapse of traditional newspapers and magazines has pushed too many voices out of the industry.
These days, you can’t afford to invest in investigative journalism if you’re trying to make a profit. And that’s why The Intercept has taken a different path.
Because we’re committed to original reporting that exposes the deadly decisions made by corporate and political power brokers, we go beyond the Beltway political bubble to to hire freelancers from across the world.
Keeping journalists in business is good for democracy. And keeping outsider voices in journalism is even better. We can’t let the journalism industry be dominated solely by those with the financial means to go without a regular or reliable source of income.
We hold no delusions that 2021 will be any easier than 2020. The crises that shaped this year will continue for years to come — and that’s why we need a deep bench of dogged talent to keep reporting for The Intercept.
Donate today and help us reach our year-end goal:
