The Explanation

Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin.

World Service,328 episodes

Episodes

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