The Explanation Podcast
Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin.
Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin. Exploring the important questions about long-running stories and the latest global news. An honest, unvarnished, explanation of the world.
Featuring new episodes of The President's Path, Unspun World with John Simpson, and The Media Show.
Episodes to download
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The Media Show: The Gaza Ceasefire
Thu 16 Oct 2025
How newsrooms are covering Gaza as access remains blocked
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The President’s Path: Supreme Court shapes Trump's powers
Fri 10 Oct 2025
How Supreme Court could define the scope of Donald Trump's presidential authority
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Unspun World: Is peace in Gaza now possible?
Fri 10 Oct 2025
John Simpson analyses whether peace in Gaza is now possible
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The Media Show: Reporting from Inside Putin’s Russia
Thu 9 Oct 2025
Steve Rosenberg on reporting truth and staying safe as a BBC journalist in Moscow
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The President’s Path: Trump’s power
Fri 3 Oct 2025
Trump is testing the limits of his power over executives and the military.
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The Media Show: Is Larry Ellison the new Rupert Murdoch?
Thu 2 Oct 2025
Tech billionaire’s media deals fuel debate over political influence
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The President's Path: Silencing voices
Fri 26 Sep 2025
Jimmy Kimmel’s return and the fight over free speech
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Unspun World: World leaders formally recognise Palestinian statehood
Fri 26 Sep 2025
John Simpson analyses what effect the recognition of Palestine as a state might have
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The Media Show: Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension
Thu 25 Sep 2025
Treatment of the US talk show host raises questions about US media and political pressure
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The President’s Path: Trump's diplomacy
Fri 19 Sep 2025
President Trump’s visit tests Sir Keir Starmer’s handling of the “special relationship”
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Unspun World: President Trump’s second state visit to the UK
Fri 19 Sep 2025
John Simpson examines the relationship between Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump
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The Media Show: Reporting Charlie Kirk’s killing
Thu 18 Sep 2025
How journalists have covered the murder of a polarising figure
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The President’s Path: The killing of Charlie Kirk
Mon 15 Sep 2025
The killing of Charlie Kirk and reaction from across the political divide
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Unspun World: Protests hit France as new PM takes office
Fri 12 Sep 2025
Is France's latest political crisis a signal of long-term decline?
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The Media Show: Super Mario Bros at 40
Thu 11 Sep 2025
Why Nintendo’s 1985 adventure is remembered as a turning point for video games
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The President’s Path: Trump's troubles
Fri 5 Sep 2025
Trump enters a new political season as Congress returns from its summer recess
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The Media Show: France’s political crisis
Thu 4 Sep 2025
Coverage of François Bayrou’s political gamble and the rise of ‘Bloquons Tout’
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The President’s Path: Trump’s law and order
Fri 29 Aug 2025
Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard draws equal parts praise and concern
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The Media Show: The mystery freelancer
Thu 28 Aug 2025
Outlets remove articles amid suspicions AI was behind a freelance byline
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The President’s Path: Trump the peacemaker?
Fri 22 Aug 2025
Trump’s quest for peace and a shot at the Nobel Prize
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The Media Show: Trump, Zelensky and the cameras
Thu 21 Aug 2025
Journalists on covering Zelensky’s White House talks with Donald Trump
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The President’s Path: Trump’s Latino base
Fri 15 Aug 2025
Will Trump’s Latino base hold in the 2026 midterms?
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The Media Show: Interview of an AI avatar
Thu 14 Aug 2025
How the AI avatar of a school shooting victim was made – and interviewed.
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The President’s Path: Democratic offensive
Mon 11 Aug 2025
The Democrats’ new playbook to reshape America’s political map
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The Media Show: Taiwan’s war drama tests political boundaries on screen
Thu 7 Aug 2025
A fictional Chinese attack sparks debate over Taiwan’s media and censorship
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The President’s Path: Trump’s grievances
Fri 1 Aug 2025
From Biden to windmills: Who’s on Trump’s grievance list?
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The Media Show: Is AI polluting the internet beyond repair?
Thu 31 Jul 2025
“Dead internet theory” raises questions about trust, authenticity and AI’s role in news
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The President’s Path: Trump’s first six months back in office
Fri 25 Jul 2025
Navigating trade wars, immigration policies, and rising international tensions
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The Media Show: YouTubers and the migrant hotel protest
Thu 24 Jul 2025
Footage from citizen journalists challenges traditional news coverage of Epping disorder
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The President's Path: Why are Epstein files dividing MAGA and Trump?
Fri 18 Jul 2025
Trump faces backlash from his base as demands grow for Epstein file transparency
