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. Episodes from The Explanation, Unspun World, The Global Jigsaw and The Media Show.
Episodes to download
-
![]()
-
![]()
The Media Show: Washington leak culture
Yesterday
Pentagon hunt for the officials talking to journalists
-
![]()
The Global Jigsaw: The Kurdish issue: Part one
Last Friday
What does the future hold for Kurdish people?
-
![]()
The Media Show: Britain's steel crisis and SNL鈥檚 leap across the Atlantic
Last Thursday
Reporting the battle to save the UK鈥檚 last major steelworks
-
![]()
Trump's tariffs explained
Fri 11 Apr 2025
Ben Brown and Sumi Somaskanda examine the key questions about US tariffs
-
![]()
The Media Show: Trade wars, tariffs, and Trump鈥檚 media strategy
Thu 10 Apr 2025
Challenge for journalists to explain economic uncertainty
-
![]()
The Media Show: What teenage boys are watching online
Thu 3 Apr 2025
How the Netflix drama Adolescence has started a conversation about online influence
-
![]()
Unspun World: How might Gaza be governed in the future?
Fri 28 Mar 2025
John Simpson examines how Gaza could be governed in the future
-
![]()
The Media Show: Are pirated books powering AI?
Thu 27 Mar 2025
Copyright row as authors say Meta trained its AI without their consent
-
![]()
Unspun World: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin negotiate over a ceasefire in Ukraine
Fri 21 Mar 2025
John Simpson analyses the negotiations over a ceasefire in Ukraine
-
![]()
The Media Show: Investigating Michael Jackson
Thu 20 Mar 2025
Dan Reed on Leaving Neverland 2 and the legal battle over Jackson鈥檚 legacy
-
![]()
Can Germany's ailing economy get back on track?
Sat 15 Mar 2025
Ed Butler interviews Dr Joachim Nagel, president of the Deutsche Bundesbank
-
![]()
Unspun World: How will Donald Trump鈥檚 tariffs affect global markets?
Fri 14 Mar 2025
John Simpson looks at whether an economic downturn is on the horizon
-
![]()
The Media Show: Revealing Facebook
Thu 13 Mar 2025
A former Facebook executive describes life inside the company and its leadership culture
-
![]()
Unspun World: Can Ukraine continue to rely on US support?
Fri 7 Mar 2025
John Simpson examines whether a European army could provide a bulwark against Russia
-
![]()
The Media Show: Jeff Bezos' Washington Post shift
Thu 6 Mar 2025
How the Amazon founder has triggered resignations at the paper he owns
-
![]()
Unspun World: Is Russia鈥檚 war in Ukraine nearing an endgame?
Fri 28 Feb 2025
John Simpson analyses whether Russia鈥檚 war in Ukraine is nearing an endgame
-
![]()
The Media Show: Mehdi Hasan on journalism, opinion, and independence
Thu 27 Feb 2025
The former MSNBC star on why he鈥檚 now flying solo
-
![]()
The Media Show: Diplomacy and the media and 100 years of The New Yorker
Thu 20 Feb 2025
The battle to report Ukraine, Russia, and government narratives
-
![]()
Unspun World: Is Western support for Ukraine holding firm?
Fri 14 Feb 2025
John Simpson examines whether Western support for Ukraine is holding firm
-
![]()
The Media Show: Understanding the attention economy
Thu 13 Feb 2025
How big tech is reshaping how we pay attention
-
![]()
Unspun World: Donald Trump鈥檚 whirlwind start to his second term
Fri 7 Feb 2025
John Simpson examines Donald Trump鈥檚 first few weeks in office
-
![]()
The Media Show: Bill Gates on tech and politics
Thu 6 Feb 2025
Microsoft co-founder discusses social media, Trump, and his concerns over misinformation
-
![]()
Unspun World: How will Trump's second presidency affect the war in Ukraine?
Fri 31 Jan 2025
John Simpson reflects on how the collapse of the Soviet Union has shaped Putin鈥檚 Russia
-
![]()
The Media Show: China鈥檚 AI rise
Thu 30 Jan 2025
DeepSeek shakes up tech, raising security and influence concerns in the West
-
![]()
Mindu Hornick: Interview with an Auschwitz survivor
Mon 27 Jan 2025
Tim Franks speaks to Mindu Hornick, who survived the Nazis' largest concentration camp
-
![]()
Unspun World: What's behind the growing tensions between China and Taiwan?
Fri 24 Jan 2025
In Taiwan, John Simpson reflects on the last 60 years of Chinese politics
-
![]()
The Media Show: Prince Harry鈥檚 legal victory and TikTok鈥檚 future
Thu 23 Jan 2025
Prince Harry gets a formal apology from Murdoch鈥檚 News Group Newspapers and a payout
-
![]()
The Media Show: Reporting the LA fires
Thu 16 Jan 2025
Challenge and dilemma for journalists reporting on the LA wildfires
-
![]()
The Media Show: Meta drops fact-checkers and Grand Theft Auto 6 hype builds
Thu 9 Jan 2025
Why Mark Zuckerberg has changed tactics ahead of President Trump鈥檚 return
