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The Explanation

Latest episodes

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Nov 8, 2024 • 26min

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 future for Hezbollah in Lebanon in the wake of Israel’s attacks, and looks at how difficult life is now in Afghanistan under the Taliban.
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Nov 7, 2024 • 23min

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 Max Tani, Media Editor, Semafor.Also on the show, a new investigation into the finances of the British Royal family. Alistair Jackson, Investigations Editor, Channel 4, Jennie Bond, former BBC Royal Correspondent and Kinsey Schofield, Host, To Di for Daily ask whether the Royals get an easy ride from the journalists tasked with scrutinising them. Presenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai
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Nov 2, 2024 • 40min

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 incentives to encourage women to have more children, to restricting access to abortion, to banning "propaganda" of “childless lifestyle”. Will their plan work?Producer: Francis Scarr, Veronika Malinboym, Kriszta Satori, Elchin Suleymanov Presenter: Krassi Twigg
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Nov 1, 2024 • 26min

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 disinformation in the US Presidential election and looks at whether a rape trial in Provence will change French society.
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Oct 30, 2024 • 23min

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 impartiality after a reported loss of thousands of subscribers following its decision not to endorse a candidate. NPR's media correspondent, David Folkenflik, joins us to unpack the unfolding crisis. With tech billionaires wielding significant influence, this election has seen figures like Elon Musk openly backing Donald Trump. Critics argue that big tech’s sway over public discourse has become too potent. Jennifer Huddleston, a senior fellow in technology policy at the Cato Institute, and Marietje Schaake, a former MEP now with Stanford’s Cyber Policy Center, debate the issues. And for over 170 years, the Associated Press has been at the forefront of election coverage, calling winners across the nation. Anna Johnson, AP’s Washington bureau chief, explains how it does what might be "the single largest act of journalism in the world". Presenter:: Ros Atkins
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Oct 26, 2024 • 30min

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 opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris in August after his granddaughter warned him about the “LGBT show”. He berated the French organisers for “debasing humanity to a level below animals”. His anti-LGBT push is relatively recent. We take a look at one battlefield of the global culture war. Producer: Kriszta Satori Presenter: Krassi Twigg
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Oct 25, 2024 • 26min

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, examines the signs of a recovery in the global economy and looks at the Italian Prime Minister’s right-wing domestic agenda.
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Oct 24, 2024 • 23min

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 assessment of Putin’s crackdown on the media which her husband Alexei Navalny used to promote his message. Francis Scarr of BBC Monitoring explains. Presenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai
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Oct 17, 2024 • 26min

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 looks at the terrifying ordeal of migrants trying to cross from Africa to Europe.
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Oct 17, 2024 • 23min

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 project as their archive launches to the public. Amer Matar is Director of the ISIS Prisons Museum, Robin Yassin-Kassab is its Chief English Editor, and Yvonne McDermott Rees is Professor of Law at Swansea University. Also on the show, the journalist who received an apology from Anne Hathaway. Kjersti Flaa reveals why the Hollywood actor got in touch after her “cringeworthy” interview went viral. Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

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