Johnny Harris (born May 28, 1988) is an American YouTuber, filmmaker, and independent journalist based in Washington, D.C. He is known for producing the Borders series for the left-leaning news website Vox and for his personal YouTube channel. His work, which uses a fast-paced, visually-driven style to explain topics in history and international affairs, has drawn criticism for alleged oversimplification, factual inaccuracies, and conflicts of interest.
Early life Harris was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a small town in Oregon. He graduated from Ashland High School, in Ashland, Oregon. He served a two-year mission in Tijuana, Mexico, and identified as a devout Mormon but has since left the church. Harris holds a Bachelor of Arts in international relations and affairs from Brigham Young University (2013) and a Master of Arts in international peace and conflict resolution from American University (2016).
Career Vox and The New York Times From 2017 to 2019, Harris produced and hosted Borders, a documentary short film series for Vox that profiled sociopolitical issues in various border regions worldwide. The series was twice nominated for an Emmy Award. It was cancelled in 2020 due to budgeting considerations.
+ Borders Series OverviewSeasonEpisodesOriginally airedLocation(s)First airedLast airedProducer16 May 22, 2017October 14, 2017Vox Media Inc.Various25July 11, 2018August 15, 2018Hong Kong35November 22, 2018December 18, 2018Colombia45June 26, 2019July 24, 2019India5 colspan="3" United States
After leaving Vox, Harris produced several video essays for the Opinion section of The New York Times. In 2021, he was the video producer on an opinion piece titled "Blue States, You're the Problem", which won an Emmy Award.
Independent journalism and Newpress In 2020, Harris created his personal YouTube channel, that continued the explanatory style of his previous work, covering topics such as international affairs, geography, and history. his channel has 7.96 million subscribers.
On February 20, 2026, Johnny and his wife Iz launched Newpress, an independent journalism company focused on video essays published on YouTube. Aside from Johnny's channel, Newpress features Search/Party by Sam Ellis, focusing on sports and geopolitics; Tunnel Vision by Christophe Haubursin, which looks into niche topics on the internet; and The Bigger Picture by Max Fisher, which tackles technology, geopolitics, and world news. Like Harris, Ellis, Haubursin, and Fisher had all worked at Vox. Newpress is primarily funded through video ads and sponsorships with a secondary revenue source based on a membership subscription model priced at $60 per year.
Johnny Harris and Newpress won the News Outstanding Graphic Design award at the 47th News and Documentary Emmy Awards in May 2026, making this Harris's second Emmy.
Criticism
Harris's work has been criticized by journalists and science communicators for its journalistic standards, factual accuracy, and framing of complex issues.
Science communicator Jonathan Jarry of McGill University's Office for Science and Society criticized Harris for producing a video sponsored by the World Economic Forum (WEF) that was presented in a style indistinguishable from his journalistic content, with the partnership only disclosed at the end. Jarry argued the video's purpose was "neither education nor journalism, but an ad for the WEF's meeting in Davos and its founder’s latest book". Jarry has also criticized Harris's broader body of work for oversimplifying complex scientific and historical topics, misrepresenting facts, and omitting key context.
On December 15, 2024, a reporter for the Kyiv Independent criticized a video by Harris that attributed the Russo-Ukrainian war largely to NATO expansion. The reporter argued this viewpoint aligns with Kremlin propaganda, omits crucial historical context, and was an example of Harris's tendency toward "prioritizing sensationalism over facts and disregarding history", particularly regarding Russia and NATO.
Personal life Harris is married to Iz Harris, with whom he has two sons.
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