Explanatory Journalism Interface Machines (On the Example of Meduza and Vox)

This article discusses the problem of representing information using interfaces. The aim of the research is to reveal the mechanism of the interface operation on the material of the websites of explanatory journalism. The research material was the sites of the Internet editions Meduza and Vox. The research methodology is based on applied media aesthetics and the model of machines by Felix Guattari. In the course of the research, the main essence of the operation of the interface machine was revealed. In accordance with Guattari's theory of machines, "flows" are defined as interactions, "machine types" as code, "opportunities" as content, "territories" as platform. The subsequent analysis of each of the four entities revealed the main characteristics of each of them in accordance with the concept of explanatory journalism. To analyze the "territories" of the interface, the method of applied media aesthetics was used. The analysis showed that not all media aesthetic fields are presented on the websites of both publications, but only the first two of them: color and space. Within the framework of explanatory journalism, this minimalism serves to confront the chaotic reality, bringing clarity and clearly delineating the boundaries of perception. The analysis of "opportunities" showed the difference between the explanatory media in the methods of presenting information. Meduza remains true to its laconicism: all content on the page is fenced off streams of information, grouped by headings and lead paragraphs. The Vox edition presents information through various multimedia channels. "Machine types" are represented by programmer code. The analysis revealed that the use of the main programming languages for creating a web page corresponds to the content/form dichotomy, supplemented by interactivity. It was found that the difference in programming approaches also demonstrates the difference in approaches to the representation of information. Meduza strives for clarity, conciseness, and a selective approach to newsbreaks. It is more important for Vox to reflect a wide variety of information in a variety of ways. In explanatory journalism, "streams" as user interactions with an interface serve the function of facilitating interaction with content-news. The result of the study was the identification of the interaction of entities within the interface machine based on the material of explanatory journalism. The interface engine of each site expresses a different attitude towards understanding the philosophy of explanatory journalism. Meduza sees its main mission in presenting information in the most clear, concise, and selective way. It picks out main issues from the information flow and transforms them into a strict vertical. For Vox, the more important value of explanatory journalism is the method itself-understanding the mechanism of the newsbreak and expressing information in all its diversity, without an "imposed" hierarchy.

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