explainers
People who clarify
Explainers are pieces of content—articles, videos, or graphics—designed to break down complex topics into accessible terms for general audiences.
The format became prominent in digital journalism, where outlets produce explainers on everything from economic policy to viral phenomena.
I watched a five-minute explainer on how the electoral college works.
The term can also simply refer to people who explain things, though the media-content sense now dominates.
Instructional guides for beginners
- guidesThose who show directions
- primersPreparatory coatings or introductions
- overviewsBrief general surveys
- breakdownsSudden failures or collapses
walkthroughs · infographics · videos · articles · summaries · digests · briefs · factsheets
Making something less complex
- elucidationAct of explaining clearly
- demystificationExplaining the obscure
- clarificationMaking meaning plain
- accessibilityEase of approach
comprehensibility · lucidity · coherence · plainness · transparency · intelligibility · straightforwardness · conciseness
Those who convey information
- educatorsThose who teach others
- interpretersOral language mediators
- translatorsLanguage conversion specialists
- guidesThose who show directions
mediators · popularizers · journalists · correspondents · analysts · commentators · specialists · experts
Mental comprehension of something
- illuminationProvision of light
- contextCircumstances shaping meaning
- perspectiveAttitude or spatial rendering
- framingStructural or contextual shaping
sense-making · connection · revelation · background · nuance · depth · big-picture · synthesis
tutorials
Instructional guides for beginners
- guidesThose who show directions
- primersPreparatory coatings or introductions
- overviewsBrief general surveys
breakdowns · walkthroughs · infographics · videos · articles · summaries · digests · briefs · factsheets · handbooks
simplification
Making something less complex
- elucidationAct of explaining clearly
- demystificationExplaining the obscure
- clarificationMaking meaning plain
accessibility · comprehensibility · lucidity · coherence · plainness · transparency · intelligibility · straightforwardness · conciseness · digestibility
communicators
Those who convey information
- educatorsThose who teach others
- interpretersOral language mediators
- translatorsLanguage conversion specialists
guides · mediators · popularizers · journalists · correspondents · analysts · commentators · specialists · experts · narrators
understanding
Mental comprehension of something
- illuminationProvision of light
- contextCircumstances shaping meaning
- perspectiveAttitude or spatial rendering
framing · sense-making · connection · revelation · background · nuance · depth · big-picture · synthesis · interpretation
- mediatelevision, mass media, news, broadcasting, video
- videosvideos, clip, clips, video clip, films
- online contentvideos, podcast, blog, posts, blog posts
- online videosvlogs, vlog, tutorials, clips, YouTube video
- tutorialstutorial, how-tos, quick start guide, tutorial video, step-by-step guide
- simplified guidesbeginner guides, primers, basics, fundamentals, introductions
explainersmystifiers
Those who confuse deliberately
confusers · muddlers · obfuscators · bafflers · complicators
explainersdeceivers
Those who mislead intentionally
concealers · liars · dissemblers · misleaders · disinformers
- explained awayDismissed through reasoning
- explainer videoShort film clarifying concepts
explained, unexplained, explainer, overexplained, misexplained