Natasha Vargas-Cooper is leaving First Look Media's The Intercept and joining Jezebel, the journalist announced on Twitter Thursday.
Vargas-Cooper made headlines in recent weeks after landing an interview with Jay Wilds, a key witness in the murder trial of Adnan Syed who refused to speak with the popular WBEZ podcast "Serial." On Wednesday, the second part of her interview with the case's lead prosecutor, Kevin Urick, was also published on the site. After the article ran, however, Vargas-Cooper took to her Tumblr to air some grievances concerning the decision to leave out an email correspondence between Urick and "Serial" host Sarah Koenig.
While a source told Capital New York that Vargas-Cooper's departure was due in part to conflict with editor-in-chief Betsy Reed over the Urick interview, the reporter thanked The Intercept's Sharon Weinberger, Ken Silverstein, Glenn Greenwald and Ryan Tate on Twitter, stating that the publication had "fought hard to keep" her.
Vargas-Cooper also said that the decision was not motivated by the several corrections that The Intercept had issued for part one of her interview with Urick.
And it wasn't about two corrections you guys, come on, lol. You cray.
— Natasha VC (@natashavc) January 15, 2015
Her colleagues at The Intercept posted their goodbyes on Twitter.
Good luck, @natashavc: a very talented, smart writer and friend!
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 15, 2015
Good luck at Jezebel @natashavc. They obviously have no idea how much trouble they are going to be in. And I say that with great affection.
— ken silverstein (@KenSilverstein1) January 15, 2015
Vargas-Cooper's resignation comes on the heels of the departures of editor-in-chief John Cook, senior policy analyst Marcy Wheeler, and journalist Matt Taibbi, whose satirical magazine, Racket, was recently shut down.
The Huffington Post has reached out to The Intercept for comment and will update the post if and when it responds.