Vox (website)
Ezra Klein left The Washington Post in January 2014 to launch a new digital news venture. He brought along colleagues from his previous role at Wonkblog, including Matt Yglesias and Melissa Bell. Their team of twenty journalists began work on the 6th of April 2014, with the goal of explaining complex political issues clearly. Klein published an opening essay titled How politics makes us stupid that same month. This piece drew upon theories by Yale Law School professor Dan Kahan about how people reject information conflicting with their core beliefs. The site aimed to improve the technology of news delivery while building trust through transparency. Conservative media commentators criticized the project before it even launched. Erick Erickson attacked a video released in March 2014 arguing U.S. public debt was not currently problematic.
Vox introduced card stacks in bright canary yellow to provide context within articles. These reusable graphics functioned like wiki pages written by one person with attitude. An example included cards defining terms such as insurance exchange for stories about the Affordable Care Act. Journalists used Vox Media's Chorus content management system to create articles with complex visual effects. Photos changed dynamically as readers scrolled down the page. The platform targeted educated households earning six-figure incomes with heads under thirty-five years old. Future Perfect launched in 2018 as a reporting project examining philanthropy and effective altruism. Rockefeller Foundation initially funded this initiative exploring radical improvements to global systems.
The website maintained a YouTube channel posting videos on news subjects since 2014. By 2023, the channel held over twelve point five million subscribers and accumulated more than three point six billion views. In May 2018, Vox partnered with Netflix to release Explained, a weekly television show. The network also distributed numerous podcasts through its own podcast division. The Weeds aired twice weekly focusing on U.S. national news details. Sean Illing hosted Gray Area interviewing guests across politics and culture. Emily St. James led I Think You're Interesting discussing arts and entertainment. Worldly ran from 2017 to 2021 covering foreign policy and international affairs. Land of the Giants examined tech giants like Google and Amazon Prime Video each season.
Klein served as editor-in-chief until September 2017 when he took a new role as editor-at-large. Lauren Williams became the new editor-in-chief after joining the site months after its founding. Elizabeth Plank launched Divided States of Women in 2017 as a political correspondent series. In late 2020, Klein, Williams, and Yglesias departed the organization. CEO Jim Bankoff stated their brands had mature audiences no longer relying on personalities. Swati Sharma was named editor-in-chief in February 2021 assuming the position that March. She previously managed editors at The Atlantic before taking the helm. Sam Bankman-Fried issued major grants to Vox in November 2022 according to Reason magazine reports.
Conservative media commentators criticized the website for perceived liberal bias shortly after launch. Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry argued the site produced partisan commentary disguised as question-and-answer formats. Damon Linker called it a parody of liberal faux-neutrality during an Obama interview. Christopher J. Harper wrote in The Washington Times criticizing numerous reporting mistakes. Matthew Yglesias later told The Atlantic that mainstream media made sense only to young college graduates in big cities. He noted older people and working-class individuals did not share that worldview. The Economist praised the premise as profoundly honorable while noting bright promising elements. Vox suspended contributor Emmett Rensin in June 2016 following tweets calling for anti-Trump riots.
Julia Belluz received the Robert B. Balles Prize for Critical Thinking from the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry in 2015. Original programming earned nominations from News & Documentary Emmy Awards presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The documentary 2016 Olympics: What Rio Doesn't Want the World to See won recognition in 2017. Borders received an Outstanding Video Journalism nomination while Earworm gained attention for graphic design. Between 2017 and 2021, journalists David Roberts, Umair Irfan, and Rebecca Leber won five SEAL Awards for environmental journalism. Readership grew significantly over time reaching eight point two million unique visitors in July 2014. By October 2021 estimates placed monthly visitors at nineteen point seven million.
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Common questions
When did Ezra Klein leave The Washington Post to launch Vox?
Ezra Klein left The Washington Post in January 2014. He launched the new digital news venture with colleagues from his previous role at Wonkblog including Matt Yglesias and Melissa Bell.
What date did the Vox team begin work on their first articles?
The team of twenty journalists began work on the 6th of April 2014. Their goal was to explain complex political issues clearly while improving the technology of news delivery.
Who became editor-in-chief after Ezra Klein stepped down in September 2017?
Lauren Williams became the new editor-in-chief after joining the site months after its founding. She took over the position following Klein's departure when he assumed a new role as editor-at-large.
How many subscribers did the Vox YouTube channel have by 2023?
By 2023 the channel held over twelve point five million subscribers. It also accumulated more than three point six billion views since posting videos on news subjects since 2014.
Which organization initially funded the Future Perfect reporting project launched in 2018?
The Rockefeller Foundation initially funded this initiative exploring radical improvements to global systems. The project examined philanthropy and effective altruism under the direction of Vox Media.