Glenn Greenwald Leaving The Guardian

In a statement on his Web site, Mr. Greenwald did not say where he was going. “I was presented with a once-in-a-career dream journalistic opportunity that no journalist could possibly decline,” Mr. Greenwald wrote on his blog Tuesday evening.

In an interview with the Web site Buzzfeed, which first disclosed his impending departure, Mr. Greenwald declined to provide details about his next job. Because the news had leaked “before we were prepared to announce it, I’m not yet able to provide any details of this momentous new venture,” he said in the interview, adding that it would “be unveiled very shortly.”

Mr. Greenwald drew widespread attention in June when he published documents leaked to him by Mr. Snowden showing that the government had gathered vast quantities of personal data from top Internet companies through a National Security Agency called Prism. The revelations drew attention to Mr. Snowden, who fled to Hong Kong and then Moscow, and ignited a debate over whether he was a crusader against government intrusion or a traitor compromising national security.

Likewise, Mr. Greenwald became the subject of a vigorous debate in the news media over whether his journalistic work was tainted by advocacy, and whether he was aiding a criminal act, an accusation he has denied vigorously.

While Mr. Greenwald made no complaints against The Guardian — he said in his statement his partnership with the paper had been extremely fruitful and fulfilling — he has shared frustrations that the paper is hampered by stricter British media regulations. His Brazilian partner was detained by British law enforcement while in London, and Guardian editors have been forced to destroy drives containing revelations from Mr. Snowden. Mr. Greenwald, who lives in Brazil, has published some articles in other media outlets.

Mr. Greenwald, who came to journalism by way of law and whose writings have long focused on privacy issues, wrote a column for The Guardian but maintained an unusual degree of independence from the organization.

Jennifer Lindauer, a spokeswoman for The Guardian, said, “We are of course disappointed by Glenn’s decision to move on, but can appreciate the attraction of the new role he has been offered.”

Noam Cohen contributed reporting.