NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Intercept, the digital magazine launched in February by First Look Media, today announced that John Cook will become the publication’s editor-in-chief. Cook will be responsible for daily editorial management of The Intercept and will work closely with founders Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and Jeremy Scahill to ensure that their vision for high-caliber investigative reporting is carried out across the site.
Cook comes to The Intercept from Gawker, where he served as investigations editor before being named editor-in-chief. During his time at Gawker he broke the story of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's crack cocaine abuse, reported extensively on Fox News chief Roger Ailes' use of the network as a political messaging operation and, over the course of five years, played a key role in developing Gawker from a Manhattan media gossip site into a full-service national news outlet known for combining aggressive reporting with humor, sharp analysis and a penchant for spectacle. Eight of Gawker's top 10 months in terms of traffic occurred during Cook's tenure as editor.
“John’s leadership in the editor-in-chief role will give us a vibrant and creative day-to-day decision maker while we continue to focus on the important stories that need to be told,” said Greenwald. “He is thoroughly in step with our vision for The Intercept, and his work as a fierce and independent writer, investigative journalist and editor make him a great fit for our team as we evolve.”
Prior to joining Gawker, Cook served in a variety of reporting and editorial positions at Radar Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Mother Jones, Yahoo! News and Brill’s Content. He has written for New York Times Magazine, Slate and the Los Angeles Times. He has taught magazine writing at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and is the co-author of “Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records.”
“The opportunity to work with a daring team of reporters who are driving the national dialogue is both rare and extremely appealing,” said Cook. “Glenn, Laura and Jeremy are peerless and ambitious journalists, and they’ve begun to assemble a fantastic team. I am thrilled to be able to help them build a truly great outlet for the sort of aggressive, muckraking reporting that they embody.”
Cook will be based in New York City and will start on March 24.
About First Look Media
First Look Media seeks to reimagine journalism for the digital age, combining the promise of technological innovation with the power of fearless reporting. Founded by Pierre Omidyar, the organization will pursue original, independent journalism that is deeply reported and researched, thoroughly fact checked, and beautifully told. We are driven above all by a belief that democracy depends on a citizenry that is not just highly informed, but deeply engaged. In all our work, we are committed to strict standards of accuracy and honesty, a willingness to report our own errors and inconsistencies, and a deep respect for the transformative power of true stories. To learn more, visit www.firstlook.org.