History of Drop Site News in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 15, 2026

Drop Site News is an independent investigative journalism outlet co-founded by award-winning journalists Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim. The publication focuses on high-stakes reporting regarding national security, foreign policy, and government accountability. By operating independently from traditional corporate media structures, the outlet aims to provide deep, document-driven analysis and original reporting on under-covered issues, including geopolitical conflicts, human rights abuses, and the inner workings of intelligence agencies. It emphasizes transparency and robust editorial freedom to challenge powerful institutional narratives. Through its subscription-based model and digital presence, Drop Site News positions itself as a critical watchdog, providing readers with nuanced perspectives on complex global events and political developments that are often ignored or sanitized by mainstream news organizations.

July 8, 2024: Instagram Removes Democracy Now! Gaza War Interviews

On July 8, 2024, Instagram removed several segments from the news outlet Democracy Now! concerning the war in Gaza. Among the censored content was an interview featuring Jeremy Scahill discussing his reporting on Hamas officials for Drop Site News, with the platform citing policies against the support of dangerous organizations.

July 2024: Founding of Drop Site News

In July 2024, journalists Ryan Grim and Jeremy Scahill officially launched Drop Site News, a nonprofit, independent, and anti-establishment investigative news outlet headquartered in Washington, D.C.

September 2024: Drop Site News blocked in Pakistan

In September 2024, the news outlet Drop Site News was officially blocked in Pakistan. This action followed the publication of reports regarding the Army Agahi Network, which is an alleged secret online operation conducted by the Pakistan Army. Subsequent to the block, the Pakistani military issued legal threats and claimed the outlet was receiving foreign funding.

December 2024: Owen Jones Alleges BBC Bias in Gaza Coverage

In December 2024, journalist Owen Jones published a report for Drop Site News claiming that BBC Middle East editor Raffi Berg influenced the network's Gaza war coverage to favor Israel, a charge supported by 13 anonymous BBC staff members but officially denied by the BBC.

2024: Drop Site News Reveals Commonwealth Election Observer Misconduct

In 2024, Drop Site News published leaked documents indicating that the Commonwealth of Nations intentionally concealed a report detailing voting irregularities and potential rigging during the 2024 Pakistani general election, allegedly following pressure from the Pakistani government to suppress the findings.

January 2025: Drop Site News Coverage of Southern California Wildfires

In January 2025, it was noted that the news outlet Drop Site News, founded by Ryan Grim, expanded its journalistic coverage to include the Southern California wildfires as part of its broader mission to investigate power and greed.

February 2025: Drop Site News Reports on Armored Tesla Procurement Controversy

In February 2025, Drop Site News and Grim reported that the U.S. State Department had initially earmarked $400 million for 'Armored Tesla' vehicles in a procurement document. Following public scrutiny regarding the specific brand naming, the document was subsequently altered to 'Armored Electric Vehicles.' The revelation led Senator Richard Blumenthal and Congressman Gregory Meeks to formally question Secretary of State Marco Rubio about potential conflicts of interest concerning Elon Musk's concurrent roles at Tesla and the Department of Government Efficiency.

February 2025: Columbia Journalism Review Analysis of Drop Site News

In February 2025, Meghnad Bose published an article in the Columbia Journalism Review characterizing Drop Site News as an outlet that combines investigative reporting with advocacy. The report highlighted the outlet's active campaigning for specific causes, such as promoting a book by Refaat Alareer and advocating for the release of Hussam Abu Safiya, while noting its institutional skepticism.

February 2025: Palestine Laboratory Podcast Quill Award Nomination

In February 2025, the Palestine Laboratory Podcast, which is hosted by Drop Site News investigative journalist Antony Loewenstein, earned a spot as a finalist for the Melbourne Press Club's prestigious Quill Award for best podcast.

March 2025: Death of Journalist Hossam Shabat

In March 2025, Palestinian journalist Hossam Shabat, who had been reporting from the northern Gaza Strip for Drop Site News during the ongoing Gaza war, was killed.

September 2025: Nika Soon-Shiong named publisher of Drop Site News

In September 2025, Ryan Grim announced that Nika Soon-Shiong, the daughter of Los Angeles Times proprietor Patrick Soon-Shiong, was appointed to the position of publisher for the media outlet Drop Site News.

November 2025: Jeet Heer praises Drop Site News investigative reporting

In November 2025, Jeet Heer of The Nation highlighted that investigative coverage concerning Jeffrey Epstein's connections to Israel by outlets like Drop Site News and Reason had surpassed the efforts of major traditional media organizations like The New York Times and CNN.

November 2025: Raffi Berg Files Libel Lawsuit Against Owen Jones

In November 2025, Raffi Berg initiated a libel lawsuit against Owen Jones, asserting that the December 2024 article caused significant reputational harm and led to severe harassment, while Jones announced his intent to defend his reporting in court.

November 2025: Open Society Foundations Grant Award

In November 2025, the Open Society Foundations granted $250,000 to the Social Security Works Education Fund. This funding is designated to help Drop Site News establish a dedicated MENA (Middle East and North Africa) desk, aiming to address gaps in independent journalistic coverage of the region.

November 2025: Reporting on Jeffrey Epstein and Israeli Intelligence

Throughout the period ending in November 2025, journalists Ryan Grim and Murtaza Hussain published a series of investigative reports detailing the historical connections between Jeffrey Epstein and Israeli intelligence services.

2025: Onset of Iranian Protests

Beginning in 2025, a series of protests emerged within Iran that would later serve as a strategic focal point for U.S. military planning during the lead-up to the 2026 Iran war.

January 2026: Report on Trump's Iran Strategy

In January 2026, Drop Site News cited an anonymous U.S. intelligence source claiming President Donald Trump intended to attack Iran with the goal of regime change, involving the assassination of officials and the destruction of weaponry to leverage ongoing protests.

2026: Archiving Gaza True Story Award Nomination

In 2026, the investigative report titled "Archiving Gaza: The Race to Save Evidence of War Crimes and Mass Destruction," written by Lila Hassan and published by Drop Site News, was nominated for the 2026 True Story Award.