JOURNOSPLAIN

What Does JOURNOSPLAIN Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

JOURNOSPLAIN means "A Journalist Condescendingly Explaining a Complicated Issue to a Subject Matter Expert."

More Observations...

It is widely used on social media, especially on Twitter, to describe a journalist condescendingly, unnecessarily and often incorrectly, explaining something to an expert on the matter being discussed. JOURNOSPLAIN is a combination of the words "Journalist" and "Explain." It was inspired by the term Mansplain, which has also given rise to an ever-growing list of similar terms, including:

• Fitsplain - A gym or fitness class member condescendingly explaining fitness training.
• Gaysplain - A gay person condescendingly explaining gay issues.
• Queersplain - A queer person condescendingly explaining queer issues.
• Straightsplain - A straight person explaining LGBT issues to a gay person.
• Trumpsplain - A supporter of former president Trump defending his record.
• Whitesplain - A white person explaining racial issues to a member of an ethnic minority.

Image for JOURNOSPLAIN

When I write JOURNOSPLAIN, I mean this:

"A Journalist Condescendingly Explaining a complicated Issue to a Subject Matter Expert"

Summary of Key Points

"A Journalist Condescendingly Explaining a Complicated Issue to a Subject Matter Expert" is, by far, the most common meaning for JOURNOSPLAIN when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

JOURNOSPLAIN
Definition:	A Journalist Condescendingly Explaining a complicated Issue to a Subject Matter Expert
Type:	Word
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults

An Academic Look at JOURNOSPLAIN

As it is formed by merging two words into one, JOURNOSPLAIN is a portmanteau word. It is a combination of the words Journalist and Explain. JOURNOSPLAIN can also be considered a neologism (i.e., a newly coined word or term which has emerged into everyday usage). Some neologisms are formally accepted into mainstream language (at which point, they cease to be neologisms), and some wither until they can longer be considered everyday terms. A neologism can be:

• A completely new word (e.g., oversharers).
• A new combination of existing words (e.g., digital detox).
• A new meaning for an existing word (e.g., sick).

Example of JOURNOSPLAIN Used in a Text

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