The Explanation

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

World Service,329 episodes

Episodes

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What is the United Nations?
Striving for peace & equality on a healthy planet, is the United Nations fit for purpose?
17 Aug 2024,17 mins
The Media Show: Social media as crime scene
How police are using social media to find evidence against rioters in the UK
15 Aug 2024,22 mins
Big Tech – too big to hide from?
We find out how Big Tech companies may know more about you - than you do.
10 Aug 2024,17 mins
The Global Jigsaw: The Taliban’s war on women
The group’s return to power in Afghanistan has seen the erasure of women from public life
08 Aug 2024,37 mins
The Media Show: Online rumours and real-world consequences
How misinformation on social media fuelled the recent anti-immigration riots in England
08 Aug 2024,22 mins
The global arms trade
Which countries supply weapons and which countries buy them?
03 Aug 2024,17 mins
The Media Show: Who will inherit the Murdoch empire?
How Rupert Murdoch is locked in a legal battle with three of his children
01 Aug 2024,22 mins
Why is the Gulf Stream and AMOC so important to our climate?
Complex ocean currents keep Europe warm and bring rain to Africa, but could they end?
27 Jul 2024,17 mins
The Media Show: Can memes win the US election?
Why supporters of Kamala Harris believe the battle to win is online
25 Jul 2024,22 mins
What makes a good peace mediator?
Brokering peace between warring nations, how does it work and what causes failure?
20 Jul 2024,17 mins
The Media Show: Reporting from the scene of the Trump shooting
Journalists from BBC, Bloomberg and Getty share their account of a moment in history
18 Jul 2024,22 mins
The Media Show: The war reporter who stopped to help
Why Oz Katerji decided to temporarily stop reporting and help injured Ukrainians
11 Jul 2024,22 mins
The Media Show: Reporting Biden’s Health
Is the White House press corps doing its job?
04 Jul 2024,22 mins
Unspun World: The UK election
Plus, what impact is extreme heat having on the world?
28 Jun 2024,26 mins
The Media Show: Julian Assange - journalist or activist?
The WikiLeaks founder and his impact on journalism
27 Jun 2024,22 mins
Unspun World: Is Ukraine preparing for a deal?
Plus, what is the future of Nato?
21 Jun 2024,26 mins
The Media Show: How podcasts took over the world
In the space of 20 years, podcasting has gone from hobby to big business
20 Jun 2024,22 mins
The Global Jigsaw: The evolution of the Islamic State Group
After a lull in activities, in 2024 IS claimed to be behind several major attacks
18 Jun 2024,37 mins
Unspun World: Israel's war cabinet fragments
Plus, why isn't economic growth having a greater impact on the US presidential election?
14 Jun 2024,26 mins
The Media Show: How to interview a Prime Minister
We speak to a journalist who sat down with Rishi Sunak
13 Jun 2024,22 mins
Unspun World: The new threats to global peace and security
Plus, why did the ANC fail to win a majority in South Africa?
07 Jun 2024,26 mins
The Media Show: The Business of News
Are people willing to pay for journalism?
06 Jun 2024,22 mins
Unspun World: Will the UK's election change its place in the world?
Plus, can Iran's governing elite win back popular support?
31 May 2024,26 mins
The Media Show: Is this the TikTok election?
Exploring the role of Big Tech in a crucial election year around the world
30 May 2024,22 mins
Unspun World: How has the Russia-China relationship changed?
Plus, what an assassination attempt tells us about Europe's politics
24 May 2024,26 mins
The Media Show: Reporting ringside at Usyk v Fury
Reporting on Usyk v Fury in Riyadh amidst allegations of ‘sportswashing’
23 May 2024,22 mins
Unspun World: Why are US-Israel relations at an historic low?
Plus, Georgia's mass protests and China's influence on Western countries
17 May 2024,26 mins
The Media Show: Netflix and the Baby Reindeer Fallout
How a “true story” is alleged to be something rather more complicated
16 May 2024,22 mins
The Global Jigsaw: How China sees itself in Africa
Beijing says it is building, not buying, Africa. Do people in Nairobi agree?
11 May 2024,41 mins
What is the dark web?
The origins of the dark web, cyber crime and internet censorship across the world
11 May 2024,17 mins