Vox is an explanatory journalism website started by former Washington Post columnist and blogger Ezra Klein. What's explanatory journalism?
Good question. It's journalism that tries to explain things readers don't understand. Some explanatory journalism consists mostly of words, organized into simple declarative sentences. Some explanatory journalism consists of photographs, or charts, or videos, or animated GIFs. Animated GIFs are halfway between videos and photographs.
Some explanatory journalism sincerely attempts to put complicated matters of politics or policy or science into terms that readers who aren't that smart or haven't been paying much attention can understand. Some explanatory journalism is just an excuse to put words and names that get people's attention into headlines people will click on.
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Both types of explanatory journalism make a lot of journalists who don't work at Vox angry, even journalists who work at other news sites that regularly publish both of these kinds of stories themselves. That's confusing, we know. Maybe it would help to look at some examples.
Who Is Solange? And Why Is She Attacking Jay Z?
This is an article that Vox published today. Lots of journalists are making fun of it on the internet publishing service
Time Named 100 Influential People, But Beyonce Is Number 1
This is another article Vox published that tangentially involves Beyonce Knowles. In this case there is no real need for explanatory journalism, as the only news is that a magazine put Beyonce on its cover, so most of the article is about how another singer that Beyonce used to sing with isn't as famous. (Confused by that last sentence? Maybe we should have explained that, while news sites usually refer to people by only their last names after the first mention, Beyonce is one of a small number of celebrities known almost exclusively by her first name.)
Jay-Z Called Lacrosse "Soft." The Research Literature Disagrees
Jay-Z (or Jay Z) is a rapper who's married to Beyonce. Are you seeing a pattern here? While quite famous in his own right, without his wife, he would probably not be quite famous enough that anything he says or does could be an excuse for explanatory journalism -- in this case, an article about the physical demands of lacrosse.
The Economics Behind Avril Lavigne's Creepy "Hello, Kitty" Video
Not all explanatory journalism is about people related to Beyonce. The headline above is for an article about Avril Lavigne, a different singer. It explains that globalization is responsible for offensive cultural stereotypes in Lavigne's new music video because without globalization, people wouldn't know enough about other countries to stereotype them. Lavigne is not a singer known primarily by her first name.
The Simpsons Predicted The Ukraine Crisis Back In 1998
This is an article about a gag from the television show "The Simpsons." The gag is about the Soviet Union surprising people by returning. If you think that joke predicted the Ukraine crisis, then you also think the movie "Air Force One" predicted the Ukraine crisis. This is the gag.
Monica Lewinsky Is Writing About Her Affair With Bill Clinton
This is another article explaining the news that a magazine published something. In this case, it was an essay by Monica Lewinsky, who is important because she has been mentioned on "Scandal." "Scandal" is a television show.
Vox's Lazy Sunday Guide To Movies, TV And Music You Can Enjoy Right Now
This is an article explaining that you can watch television shows like "Game of Thrones" and "Mad Men" on Sunday night, because that's the night they are on television.
The Time When Hip-Hop's Top Drag Queen Met RuPaul
Okay, we're done here.
I've been covering the business of news, information and entertainment in one form or another for more than 10 years. In February 2014, I moved to San Francisco...
