The Intercept
A nonprofit investigative news outlet covering national security, politics and civil liberties.
The Intercept at a glance
The Intercept is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in United States, currently ranked #423 in the country. It was founded in 2014 by Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, Jeremy Scahill and is headquartered in New York, NY, USA. Today The Intercept is owned by First Look Institute. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 10 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through donations, grants. Its closest rivals include propublica.org, motherjones.com, vice.com.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 9.4 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 9.7 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 10 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 10.6 million / month | +6% |
Traffic sources
- Direct37%
- Organic search34%
- Social18%
- News aggregators8%
- Email3%
Audience & demographics
- Men55%
- Women45%
- Age 35-4426%
- Age 45-5423%
- Age 25-3422%
The audience is concentrated in United States, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- United States86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 3 million visits / month
- Branded share of search
- High — brand terms lead the keyword profile
- Indexed pages
- Large — category, listing or article level
- Primary search market
- United States
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| the intercept | 1 | Very high | Dominant |
| breaking news | Top 10 | High | — |
| today's headlines | Top 10 | High | — |
| live coverage | Top 10 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- Tens of thousands
- Link profile
- News coverage, directories, blogs and partner sites
- Authority
- High within the United States web
Top referral sources
- News and media31%
- Directories and aggregators24%
- Blogs and forums20%
- Partner sites14%
- Other11%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Stack details are inferred from public front-end signals and engineering communications; internal systems may differ.
Mobile app statistics
Available in the local store
Available in the local store
- App share of traffic
- ≈ 79% mobile
- Position in country
- Among the leading news & media apps in United States
Company information
- Website
- theintercept.com
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- First Look Institute
- Owner type
- Nonprofit
- Founders
- Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, Jeremy Scahill
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- New York, NY, USA
- Employees
- 100+
- Ownership
- First Look Institute controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Revenue
- ≈ $20 million annual revenue (est.)
- Languages
- English
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, social
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ $20 million annual revenue (est.)
- Ownership
- Nonprofit
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
The Intercept operates a news and media publisher focused on United States. A nonprofit investigative news outlet covering national security, politics and civil liberties. Revenue comes mainly from donations, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Donations
- Grants
Products & services
International presence
- Primary market
- United States
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (United States)
- #423 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading news & media site in United States
- Global rank
- 6500
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| propublica.org | ≈ 6 million / month | #424 class competitor | — |
| motherjones.com | ≈ 4.5 million / month | #425 class competitor | — |
| vice.com | ≈ 3 million / month | #426 class competitor | — |
What is The Intercept?
The Intercept (theintercept.com) is a news and media publisher serving users in United States. A nonprofit investigative news outlet covering national security, politics and civil liberties. It ranks #423 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the news & media category.
Who owns The Intercept?
The site is operated by First Look Institute, founded by Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, Jeremy Scahill. The company was established in 2014 and is headquartered in New York, NY, USA. It employs around 100+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place The Intercept at roughly 10 million visits per month, about 0.3 million per day. Around 79% mobile of sessions come from mobile devices, and visitors view about 3.1 pages per visit with an average session of 3 min.
How The Intercept makes money
Revenue comes primarily from donations, alongside grants.
Competitors in United States
Its closest rivals include propublica.org, motherjones.com, vice.com.
Data and accuracy
Company facts are drawn from public sources. Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or sector benchmarks, marked with ≈ where modelled, and are reviewed periodically.
Company history & milestones
- 2014
The Intercept is founded in New York, NY, USA.
- Growth phase
Expands its news & media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #423 among the most visited websites in United States.
User reviews & ratings
| Source | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play | ≈ 4.3 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| App Store | ≈ 4.5 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| Consumer review platforms | Mixed | — | Service and support are common themes |
App store ratings are solid, while consumer review platforms show the usual friction around support and service quality.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Broad daily news coverage with national reach
- Fast breaking-news publishing
- Free access to most articles
- Strong presence in search and social
Cons
- Heavy advertising load on article pages
- Editorial line criticised by parts of the audience
- Clickbait headlines on high-traffic sections
- Paywall limits on premium content
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns The Intercept?
The Intercept is operated by First Look Institute. Nonprofit structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is The Intercept headquartered?
The Intercept is headquartered in New York, NY, USA.
When was The Intercept founded?
The Intercept was founded in 2014 by Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, Jeremy Scahill.
How many employees does The Intercept have?
The Intercept employs approximately 100+ people.
What is The Intercept's revenue?
The Intercept's revenue: ≈ $20 million annual revenue (est.).
Who are The Intercept's competitors?
Main competitors in United States include propublica.org, motherjones.com, vice.com.
How does The Intercept make money?
Mainly donations, grants.
Is The Intercept publicly traded?
No — The Intercept is not listed as an independent public company; it is operated by First Look Institute.
How many visitors does The Intercept get?
Third-party estimates place The Intercept at roughly 10 million visits per month, mostly from United States, with 79% mobile traffic.
Is The Intercept safe?
The Intercept is an established news & media site founded in 2014 and ranked #423 in United States; use the official domain theintercept.com and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementstheintercept.com
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageUnited States and international business media
- Data confidence
- Medium for company facts, medium-low for traffic and financial estimates. All modelled figures are rounded and marked with ≈.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or derived from sector benchmarks, and are reviewed periodically.
Social media profiles & statistics
Official brand account
Announcements and support
Community and campaigns
Company and hiring updates
Brand and product videos