Puzzle Politics
January 15, 2025 at 03:30PMAbigail Popple is a reporter and fact checker who has a deep love of crossword puzzles. In this essay for Maisonneuve, she surveys the work of puzzle designers such as Ada Nicolle, Natan Last, and Will Nediger, suggesting that crossword puzzles are more than just erudite pastimes, they’re a form of journalism that can capture and document the zeitgeist in which they were created. What’s more, puzzle designers are embracing their power to educate enthusiasts in domains other than white cisgender culture, expanding what constitutes “common knowledge” among solvers.
Crosswords are far more than innocuous trivia. They represent constructors’ interests, beliefs, biases and best guesses at what appeals to their audiences. The same goes for other types of journalism: despite the industry’s staunch claim to objectivity, the perspectives—and prejudices—of those working in newsrooms permeate reporting. Crosswords and news media are lent legitimacy through their publication by media behemoths in authoritative black type. While both mediums are typically seen as apolitical, the editorial decisions that undergird them are fundamentally political. Rather than letting this reality sit in the shadows, some contemporary constructors are making an effort to highlight it. These puzzle-makers are using their skills to bring political commentary to solvers, while challenging the assumption that their crosswords should retain the guise of so-called objectivity.
While there’s a parallel movement among journalists to confront the objectivity myth and address the systemic biases of the media, censorship still abounds in mainstream newsrooms. It’s largely considered taboo to openly discuss how one’s political leanings influence one’s reporting. Still, the thoughtfulness with which constructors like those I spoke with for this article approach their craft provides a good model for improving journalism. Treating every opening sentence, headline and bit of jargon with the same intentionality that a constructor takes to filling a blank grid would translate to more careful reporting.
More on puzzles and word games
For the Love of Wordle: A Reading List on Puzzles and Games
Seven longreads on the communal pastime of puzzles, games, and crosswords.
Scrabble, Anonymous
“Somehow, doing it with other people took the stain away, made it feel fun instead of abject.”
From TED To PERNOCTATED, Scrabble’s Best Player Knows No Limits
“Nigel is a reminder of the unknown limits of human performance and the mysteries of the human mind.”
from Longreads https://longreads.com/2025/01/15/puzzle-politics/
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