The Explanation

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

World Service,349 episodes

Episodes

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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
Unspun World: What is Israel's plan for Gaza?
Plus, the mood on the Ukrainian frontline and South Africa's general election
10 May 2024,26 mins
The Media Show: Reporting the US campus protests
Why student journalists have been crucial to the world’s understanding of the story
09 May 2024,22 mins
The Global Jigsaw: Turkey's foothold in Africa
Ankara is touting itself as a “non-colonising” alternative to Western powers
04 May 2024,39 mins
Goodbye to the International Space Station
It was a triumph of international collaboration - a laboratory for hundreds of astronauts
04 May 2024,17 mins
The Media Show: Behind the information iron curtain
How freedom of the press no longer exists in many parts of the world
02 May 2024,22 mins
The Global Jigsaw: Deconstructing Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’: Part two
The loose coalition of allies and proxies, sworn against Israeli and US influence
27 Apr 2024,51 mins
Nuclear weapons - which countries have them?
We look at the nuclear powers and those who want to join their club
27 Apr 2024,17 mins
The Media Show: Secrets of the Celebrity Interview
Coaxing megastars to say things they’ll later regret, and can you teach creativity?
25 Apr 2024,22 mins
The Global Jigsaw: How drones have changed war
Drones have reshaped the battlefield in Ukraine - and created new challenges
20 Apr 2024,32 mins
The Media Show: How Taylor Swift conquered the media
A lesson in “Swiftonomics” from the journalists who report on the pop phenomenon
18 Apr 2024,22 mins