WSJ launches “Flexicle” article feature

The Wall Street Journal’s research and development arm, in conjunction with its markets team, has launched a new “Flexicle” article feature.

The experimental feature is designed to make The Journal’s coverage more accessible and a step toward personalization. It includes a button in articles that says “Learn More” if the reader wants more information about the article’s topic and then “Close” when the reader is finished.

Unlike a dictionary or lexicon, the additional information is unique to the context of the article and moment, which The Journal thinks is important to aid understanding and learning.

“This, built in partnership with the Innovation team, is an experimental first step towards more advanced content personalization,” wrote R&D head Alyssa Zeisler on Twitter. “Ultimately, we hope to get to the point where we can tailor our coverage to the individual.”

The Flexicle aligns with other initiatives like new and young audiences, so The Journal can look at different types of data and make informed decision about the value of its coverage.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.