In India, the daily newsletter Splainer drops into subscribers’ inboxes with a round-up of the day's most important news and events.
Launched in 2020, Splainer targets a broad English-first Indian readership of working professionals, students and more. Women constitute over half of its subscribers.
“We want to make it enjoyable and effortless to be well-informed about what’s happening in the world,” said Lakshmi Chaudhry, founder of Splainer. “Our editorial curation formula is knowledge plus delight, and for us, well-informed doesn’t necessarily mean only news, but [also] the wacky, strange and delightful things happening around the world.”
Splainin’ the point
Each edition of Splainer dedicates space to an explainer called “The Big Story,” which is typically a deep dive into a timely or evergreen issue. This section includes rich context, well-researched data points and arguments, and an analysis of why the story matters.
Readers then navigate to a section titled, “Headlines That Matter,” which includes a round-up of eight to 10 of the most important global headlines. This is followed by the “Sanity Break,” which shares intriguing anecdotes and positive news.
“The way we judge the relevance of a news piece can be subjective, but there are guiding factors,” said Nirmal Bhansali, an assistant news editor at Splainer. “The big factor is this: if we can articulate why a particular piece of news matters to the audience over the course of research, then we include it.”
Choosing what to publish is a ruthless exercise because only so many news stories and events can be included in a single edition. To help with this, each article included in Splainer must pass a “so what?” test to ensure its relevance.
“If a few people said some things, or if a policy is being planned to be implemented, or announcements are taking place about the future, but nothing has changed so far, then we don’t include it,” said Chaudhry. “We keep going back to ask, ‘how does it matter?’ ‘How does it impact the readers?’”
The story behind Splainer
Splainer tries to aggregate information in a way that allows its readers to rely on it daily for a dose of updates – an alternative to subscribing to every niche publication on the internet.
“Unlike algorithms, we don’t believe people are just a bundle of pre-existing beliefs, tastes and preferences,” said Chaudhry. “You may not call yourself a science person, but you could still find certain things fascinating, like how the human brain works. We want to bring that content to you.”
Viewing its readers as multifaceted people capable of holding a diverse range of interests, Splainer also helps them get out of their algorithmic and paywall-driven echo chambers.
“[Splainer] simplifies news without dumbing it down,” said Charukesi Ramadurai, a freelance journalist and Splainer subscriber. “For each of their stories, [Splainer includes] information collated from a range of published sources, which is super useful, since I can just click and follow up on whatever I find most interesting or relevant. I like that I can find new news and read about things I may otherwise not come across.”
Metrics that matter: Subscribers
Lavanya Mohan, a marketing professional and Splainer subscriber, recalled that her introduction to Splainer was through a friend’s tweet in 2021. The idea behind the newsletter piqued her curiosity enough to subscribe.
“I wanted to cut down on a lot of mainstream media consumption because there’s a lot of noise and no signal; Splainer gives me that signal as it offers nuance and depth,” she said. "We [also] live in an age of excess. For me, Splainer clears out the clutter. At the same time, Splainer goes beyond the headline. Their storytelling is memorable.”
Making news consumption a positive experience is one of the many goals Splainer has undertaken to maintain engagement. Chaudhry believes that while many Indians may not want to pay for news, they will still pay for a model that caters to their busy lifestyles.
Splainer has furthermore cultivated a conversational relationship with its subscribers. The newsletter regularly breaks the fourth wall to speak directly with its readers, for instance by writing in the second person, or encouraging readers to write back with feedback or even contribute content.
This relationship has allowed the newsletter to rely on its readers for promotion. People share in their private circles or on social media, readers tweet about a “Big Story” they liked, and Splainer is featured on newsletter recommendation lists online.
Through this word of mouth, Splainer acquired 3,000 subscribers in its first six months since launching.
The way forward
Consuming news through Splainer is as much about the user experience as it is about the content. Recognizing that, Splainer has undergone a design revamp, executed by its design partner, Bull Design, and tech partner, Blackcurrant Labs. The new design gives it the reading experience of a glossy magazine, while still providing the information of a daily. Splainer now also has an app which offers features like the ability to bookmark individual newsletter editions.
While the daily Splainer newsletter will remain the bedrock of what it offers, the team wants to double down on the community aspect of its operation. For example, Splainer has launched Splainer Lite, available on Substack, which gives access to select sections of the paid edition.
Splainer has also paved the way for another revenue portal: events. From dinners and museum tours, to art walks and wellness workshops, the team wants to bring its readers together offline.
Splainer’s marketing, conducted solely via word of mouth through subscribers and advocates of its work, stands out in particular. And now, it is strategically focusing on elevating the experience for this community.
With Splainer’s business model a success story in the making, Bhansali shared the editorial secret sauce behind it: “If you were to explain news events to a friend over drinks, how would you simplify the story without losing context?”
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash.
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