Progressive Spotlight: Ryan Grim.

In an era in which fewer and fewer people trust legacy media outlets, journalists operating with independence—or at least not employed by major media and entertainment conglomerates—are generating greater influence.

One of those reporters is Ryan Grim, co-founder of the newly launched Drop Site News, host of the “Deconstructed” podcast and co-host of “Counter Points,” a video show operating under the “Breaking Points” umbrella.

Before launching Drop Site News with Jeremy Scahill, Grim was The Intercept’s D.C. bureau chief for seven years, the same role he served at HuffPost for nine years, from 2008 to 2017. In his Drop Site News announcement, Grim admitted that he considered The Intercept his final stop on his winding and successful journalism journey, which he’s parlayed into several books, including a best-seller, “We’ve Got People: From Jesse Jackson to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the End of Big Money and the Rise of a Movement.”

“The job was just too perfect,” Grim wrote in his Drop Site News announcement.

Ryan Grim Leaves The Intercept to Start Drop Site News

Why Grimm (and Scahill) departed from The Intercept remains a mystery, but it’s not entirely surprising. There have been reports in recent months and years suggesting an internal struggle between the outlet’s corporate board and the newsroom, which has sustained a series of layoffs. Ken Klippenstein, a respected national security reporter in his own right, similarly resigned from The Intercept to operate solo, blaming “the corporatization of The Intercept over the past few months.”

“The Intercept has been taken over by suits who have abandoned its founding mission of fearless and adversarial journalism, and I can’t continue in an environment where fear of funders is more important than journalism itself,” he added.

Grim, for his part, has remained mum. Perhaps that’s because he’s simply too busy. Grim and Scahill immediately published a number of critical stories in just their first few weeks in operation, including Scahill’s interviews with leaders of Hamas. On July 15, Grim exclusively reported on court documents that revealed the Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif was tortured before he was killed by police in Kenya, where he was living in exile.

Here’s from Grim’s reporting: “Sharif, known for his fearless reporting and criticism of the Pakistani military establishment, sought refuge first in the United Arab Emirates and then in Kenya after facing severe threats in his home country when the democratically elected government of Imran Khan was ousted under intense military pressure and a U.S.-backed vote of no confidence. Less than three months after leaving Pakistan, he was killed by Kenyan police on a dirt road while traveling from a camp in the outskirts of Nairobi.”

Grim’s talent is in identifying stories that are under-reported or contradict the supposed ideals of America. Among the many themes he interrogates is the United States’ public position on human rights and democracy. Grim’s recent reporting on the United States’ role in effectively toppling the democratically elected government of Imran Khan has been first class, and he often brings those questions to U.S. State Department press conferences, where his back-and-forth with official government spokespeople can be captured for all to witness.

And while there’s an ever-growing roster of progressive journalists performing great work—whether on war, civil liberties, or economics—Grim is the rare reporter on the left who the establishment respects. While some may view that as a shortcoming, Grim’s penchant for relationship building, combined with a tenacious desire to get to the truth, has served him—and the rest of us—well.

It’s also why he’s been able to author books that create news cycles of their own, including his most recent work, “The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution.” Released in December 2023, weeks into Israel’s rampage of Gaza, one of the many themes of the book is AIPAC’s growing influence on U.S. politics and its war against The Squad.

But before the political conflict commenced, AIPAC purportedly attempted to recruit Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) with an offer of $100,000 to “start the conversation,” according to Grim. Corbin Trent, AOC’s communications director at the time, told him that the campaign was“shocked” by the offer, adding, “I was expecting the corruption to be much more subtle. This was basically a bag filled with cash.”

The book’s revelations about AIPAC came amid reports that the organization was preparing for an all-out offensive against The Squad in the upcoming election. The group notched its first victory this summer with the primary defeat of Jamaal Bowman, who faced an onslaught of attacks from AIPAC and affiliated groups.

As for Grim, I’m sure there will be plenty more stories about how institutions and wealthy groups seek to undermine democracy. That he’s fully embracing his independence, and helping build a fresh newsroom, should be seen as a breath of fresh air amid a world in chaos.

Image Source

• Ryan Grim image, via @RyanGrim on Instagram. Changes were made.
• Drop Site logo via dropsitenews.com. Changes were made.