The Explanation
The Explanation is a snackable audio guide giving you the backstory behind the headlines. In each episode, presenter Claire Graham meets a BBC News correspondent who has lived and breathed these stories. She’ll hear clear analysis along with powerful archive. The Explanation will go back in time to unpack complex chains of events and will make the stories in question easier to understand.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 24 minutes
- Episodes
- 222
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Unspun World: What does the US election tell us about America?
John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, examines how the US Presidential campaign has highlighted the deep divisions in the country, analyses the fu…
The Media Show: Trump's winning media strategy
Much of the traditional media were blindsided by Trump’s election victory. To discuss why, Katie is joined by James Harding, Founder, Tortoise Media, Claire Atkinson, The Media Mix newsletter, and Ma…
The Global Jigsaw: Russia’s “special demographic operation”
Why is the Kremlin worried about population decline? President Putin has made the increase of human capital a national priority. Decision-makers have been competing to offer a solution, from fiscal i…
Unspun World: What will Iran do now?
John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses how the Iranian regime might respond to Israel’s attack on the country, examines the role of disinf…
The Media Show: Ballots, bias and big tech
Ros Atkins is in Washington DC and asks what what the upcoming election tells us about the role the media plays in modern America.
The Washington Post finds itself at the heart of a debate on media im…
The Global Jigsaw: Turkey’s anti-LGBT drive
What’s behind the evolution of President Erdogan’s narrative on LGBT issues, and how did Turkey’s Islamic conservatives find common ground with American Evangelicals? President Erdogan skipped the op…
Unspun World: The Middle East: The regional perspective
John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses the attitudes of other countries in the Middle East towards Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon, exam…
The Media Show: The king of reality TV
Andy Cohen is the executive producer behind the Real Housewives TV franchise. He tells Katie how it became a global phenomenon. Also in the programme, after Yulia Navalnaya’s BBC interview, an assess…
Unspun World: Israel's Middle East strategy
John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's experts around the world, analyses Israel’s long-term strategy in the Middle East, examines whether the US government will force Google to break up and look…
The Media Show: ISIS Prisons Museum
The ISIS Prisons Museum was established in 2017 when a group of journalists, filmmakers and activists entered deserted Islamic State prisons to collect evidence. We talk to two journalists behind the…
The Global Jigsaw: Yemen: A frozen conflict
Ten years on, where do the warring parties stand? And is there a way out of the stalemate? This is not just a civil war - it’s a battle between rival camps in the Middle East, led by Iran on the one …
Unspun World: The Middle East, a year on from the October 7th attacks
John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses the prospects for the Middle East on the anniversary of the October 7th attacks on Israel, examines…
The Media Show: Reporting from inside Gaza
What’s it like to report from Gaza? The BBC’s Rushdi Abualouf discusses the editorial and practical challenges, keeping his family safe while reporting in a conflict zone, and how he made the difficu…
Unspun World: What will Iran's strategy be?
John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses what Iran’s strategy will be in the wake of Israel’s assault on Hezbollah, looks at how the attack …
The Media Show: Secrets of The Sidemen
As the Israeli offensive against targets in Lebanon continues, we discuss the challenge for journalists reporting the story with the BBC’s Lyse Doucet and Shayan Sardarizadeh. Also on the show, one o…
The Global Jigsaw: Yemen: A tale of three cities
Ten years after the start of the civil war in Yemen, Sanaa, Aden and Taiz are stuck in a “no war, no peace” limbo. The three ancient cities are ruled by different warring parties, all vying to expand…
The Media Show: Reporting the Predator at Harrods
Mohamed Al Fayed was the flamboyant billionaire whose investments once included the luxury department store Harrods and a Premier League football club. He was the father of Dodi, who was killed along…
The Media Show: Trump’s Pet-eating Conspiracy Theory
Donald Trump’s false claim that migrants are eating pets in Springfield Ohio will go down in history as one of the most memorable political soundbites. Jack Brewster, Enterprise Editor at NewsGuard, …
The Media Show: Russia’s alleged influencer propaganda plot
The Department of Justice says it has busted a Russian plot to recruit popular right-wing influencers to convey its messages. Maggie Miller, Cybersecurity Reporter from Politico, and Catherine Belton…
The Media Show: Why Korean TV rules the world
From Squid Game to The Masked Singer, some of the most popular TV formats of recent years have come from South Korea. InSoon Kim, a Korean TV producer, and journalists Lucas Shaw and Regina Kim, disc…