Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald resigned from the media company he co-founded after editors reportedly refused to publish his article until he removed all sections critical of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
“Today I sent my intention to resign from The Intercept, the news outlet I co-founded in 2013 with Jeremy Scahill and Laura Poitras, as well as from its parent company First Look Media,” Greenwald announced Thursday afternoon. (RELATED: Brazilian Judge Declines To Charge American Journalist Glenn Greenwald With Cybercrimes ‘For Now’)
“The final, precipitating cause is that The Intercept’s editors, in violation of my contractual right of editorial freedom, censored an article I wrote this week, refusing to publish it unless I remove all sections critical of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, the candidate vehemently supported by all New-York-based Intercept editors involved in this effort at suppression,” he continued.
My Resignation From The Intercept
The same trends of repression, censorship and ideological homogeneity plaguing the national press generally have engulfed the media outlet I co-founded, culminating in censorship of my own articles.https://t.co/dZrlYGfEBf
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 29, 2020
“The censored article, based on recently revealed emails and witness testimony, raised critical questions about Biden’s conduct,” Greenwald added. “Not content to simply prevent publication of this article at the media outlet I co-founded, these Intercept editors also demanded that I refrain from exercising a separate contractual right to publish this article with any other publication.”
Greenwald appeared on the “Joe Rogan Experience” in an episode released Wednesday criticizing media institutions for their coverage of the Hunter Biden controversy, adding he was “disgusted with my colleagues in my profession.” (RELATED: Want To Know Why Media Isn’t Covering Hunter Biden? Glenn Greenwald Has A Theory)
In a “last-ditch attempt to avoid being censored,” the Intercept co-founder claimed he encouraged the editors to write their own articles critiquing his perspective, so readers could decide who was right.
“But modern media outlets do not air dissent; they quash it,” Greenwald said. “So censorship of my article, rather than engagement with it, was the path these Biden-supporting editors chose.”
He revealed his article would be published on Substack “shortly.” (RELATED: Glenn Greenwald To Megyn Kelly: ‘I’m Totally, Formally Banned’ From MSNBC)
“I have been extremely disenchanted and saddened by the editorial direction of The Intercept under its New York leadership for quite some time,” Greenwald wrote. “The publication we founded without those editors back in 2014 now bears absolutely no resemblance to what we set out to build — not in content, structure, editorial mission or purpose.”
Greenwald, who made his career covering the Edward Snowden national security leaks, concluded that he has requested his lawyer to get in touch with First Look Media to discuss how to terminate his contract.