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: Is this the TikTok election?
Thu 30 May 2024
Exploring the role of Big Tech in a crucial election year around the world
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Unspun World: How has the Russia-China relationship changed?
Fri 24 May 2024
Plus, what an assassination attempt tells us about Europe's politics
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The Media Show: Reporting ringside at Usyk v Fury
Thu 23 May 2024
Reporting on Usyk v Fury in Riyadh amidst allegations of 鈥榮portswashing鈥�
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Unspun World: Why are US-Israel relations at an historic low?
Fri 17 May 2024
Plus, Georgia's mass protests and China's influence on Western countries
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The Media Show: Netflix and the Baby Reindeer Fallout
Thu 16 May 2024
How a 鈥渢rue story鈥� is alleged to be something rather more complicated
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The Global Jigsaw: How China sees itself in Africa
Sat 11 May 2024
Beijing says it is building, not buying, Africa. Do people in Nairobi agree?
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What is the dark web?
Sat 11 May 2024
The origins of the dark web, cyber crime and internet censorship across the world
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Unspun World: What is Israel's plan for Gaza?
Fri 10 May 2024
Plus, the mood on the Ukrainian frontline and South Africa's general election
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The Media Show: Reporting the US campus protests
Thu 9 May 2024
Why student journalists have been crucial to the world鈥檚 understanding of the story
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The Global Jigsaw: Turkey's foothold in Africa
Sat 4 May 2024
Ankara is touting itself as a 鈥渘on-colonising鈥� alternative to Western powers
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Goodbye to the International Space Station
Sat 4 May 2024
It was a triumph of international collaboration - a laboratory for hundreds of astronauts
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The Media Show: Behind the information iron curtain
Thu 2 May 2024
How freedom of the press no longer exists in many parts of the world
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The Global Jigsaw: Deconstructing Iran鈥檚 鈥楢xis of Resistance鈥�: Part two
Sat 27 Apr 2024
The loose coalition of allies and proxies, sworn against Israeli and US influence
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Nuclear weapons - which countries have them?
Sat 27 Apr 2024
We look at the nuclear powers and those who want to join their club
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The Media Show: Secrets of the Celebrity Interview
Thu 25 Apr 2024
Coaxing megastars to say things they鈥檒l later regret, and can you teach creativity?
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The Global Jigsaw: How drones have changed war
Sat 20 Apr 2024
Drones have reshaped the battlefield in Ukraine - and created new challenges
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The Media Show: How Taylor Swift conquered the media
Thu 18 Apr 2024
A lesson in 鈥淪wiftonomics鈥� from the journalists who report on the pop phenomenon
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How does the New York Stock Exchange work?
Tue 16 Apr 2024
Valued at over $25 trillion, does it spread wealth or increase inequality?
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The Global Jigsaw: Sudan: A year of war
Sun 14 Apr 2024
Sudan faces the largest humanitarian and displacement crisis in the world
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The Media Show: Building Trump's social media app
Thu 11 Apr 2024
Billy Boozer tells the story behind the creation of Truth Social
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The Global Jigsaw: Deconstructing Iran鈥檚 'Axis of Resistance': Part one
Sun 7 Apr 2024
The origins of the Iran-cultivated alliance of like-minded states and groups.
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The Media Show: Fear, threats and intimidation
Thu 4 Apr 2024
Have US diplomats been targeted by Russian sonic weaponry?
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The Global Jigsaw: Moscow attack: disinfo wars
Sun 31 Mar 2024
Who is behind the Crocus City Hall attack? We track the blame game.
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The Global Jigsaw: Contested waters: Helmand
Sun 24 Mar 2024
How the waters of the Helmand river have driven tensions between Afghanistan and Iran
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Unspun World: What's next for President Putin after winning re-election?
Sat 23 Mar 2024
Plus, as Biden and Trump compete for the presidency, is the US close to civil unrest?
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The Global Jigsaw - Contested waters: Crimea
Sun 17 Mar 2024
How water is used as a weapon of war following Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine
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Unspun World: Has Russia turned the tide in its war in Ukraine?
Sat 16 Mar 2024
Plus, gang violence in Haiti, and the possibility of unmanned ships on the oceans
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The Global Jigsaw: What hope for Haiti?
Sun 10 Mar 2024
Gang violence has turned the small Caribbean nation into a 鈥渓iving nightmare鈥�
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Unspun World: What's life like on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank?
Sat 9 Mar 2024
What will it take to bring peace to both Gaza and Ukraine?
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Unspun World: Is a ceasefire in Gaza within reach?
Sat 2 Mar 2024
Plus, Donald Trump's legal problems, and European farmers protest
