First Look Media—The Intercept's source protection failure led to Reality Winner's arrest and 63-month sentence
The Intercept shared unredacted NSA documents with the government for verification, inadvertently revealing machine-readable printer codes and metadata that led to Reality Winner's arrest on June 3, 2017. Winner received the longest prison sentence ever (63 months) for an unauthorized release to media. First Look Media pledged legal support but Winner alleges they stopped payments after her August 2018 sentencing, leaving '30% of agreed cost' unpaid, with lawyers continuing pro bono after First Look 'fell behind.'
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press Freedom | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Whistleblower Protection | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.429 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.57)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (1 signal)
Reality Winner sentenced to 63 months after The Intercept's handling compromised her identity
Reality Winner was arrested on June 3, 2017, after The Intercept shared unredacted NSA documents with the government, revealing printer codes and metadata traceable to her. She received a 63-month sentence, the longest ever for media leaks. Winner stated First Look Media stopped legal payment support after her sentencing, leaving 30% unpaid, with lawyers continuing pro bono.