# Johnny Harris

> Johnny Harris is an Emmy-winning American journalist, filmmaker, and YouTuber with over 7.5 million subscribers, known for visually-driven explainer videos on geopolitics, history, and international affairs. A former Vox senior producer and creator of the acclaimed 'Borders' documentary series, Harris left legacy media in 2020 to build an independent journalism operation that now employs 30+ people. In February 2026, he and his wife Iz co-launched Newpress, an algorithm-free creator journalism platform designed to give audiences a direct role in the journalism process.

- **Role:** Co-Founder at Newpress / Independent Journalist
- **Organizations:** Newpress, Bright Trip
- **From:** Ashland, Oregon, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** High School Diploma, Ashland High School, Bachelor of Arts, International Relations and Affairs, Brigham Young University, Master of Arts, International Peace and Conflict Resolution, American University
- **Known for:** Emmy Award winner for 'Blue States, You're the Problem' (2022, New York Times Opinion), Two Emmy nominations for the Vox Borders documentary series, 7.5+ million YouTube subscribers and over 1 billion total channel views

## Career timeline

- **2006-2008** — Served a two-year Mormon mission in Tijuana, Mexico
- **2013** — Graduated from BYU with BA in International Relations
- **2014** — Joined Vox Media as Senior Video Producer
- **2016** — Completed MA in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University
- **2017** — Created and launched 'Vox Borders' documentary series for Vox
- **2019** — Co-founded Bright Trip, a travel education platform
- **2020** — Vox Borders cancelled; left Vox to pursue independent journalism full-time
- **2020-2021** — Created video essays for The New York Times Opinion section
- **2022** — Won Emmy Award for 'Blue States, You're the Problem' (NYT Opinion video essay)
- **2022-2025** — Grew YouTube channel from 3M to 7.5M subscribers; built a 30+ person team
- **2026-02** — Co-launched Newpress, an algorithm-free creator journalism platform, with wife Iz Harris

## Achievements

- Emmy Award winner for 'Blue States, You're the Problem' (2022, New York Times Opinion)
- Two Emmy nominations for the Vox Borders documentary series
- 7.5+ million YouTube subscribers and over 1 billion total channel views
- Built an independent journalism operation employing 30+ people with $100K+ monthly overhead
- Co-founded Newpress, a creator journalism platform launched February 2026
- Co-founded Bright Trip travel education platform in 2019
- Contributed video journalism to The New York Times Opinion section

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Launched Newpress, a creator journalism platform described as 'algorithm-free' and community-driven, co-founded with wife Iz Harris
- **2026-03** — Newpress featured by Nieman Journalism Lab and Tubefilter as a new model for independent creator journalism
- **2025** — YouTube channel surpassed 7.5 million subscribers and 1.18 billion total views
- **2025** — Ongoing documentary series on restoring a 130-year-old house posted to YouTube channel

## Links

- Website: https://www.johnnyharris.ch/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnny-harris-b067488b
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/johnnywharris
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johnnyharris
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnny.harris/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnnyHarrisVox
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnny.harris

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/johnny-harris
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-19