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The Explanation

Latest episodes

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Aug 29, 2024 • 23min

The Media Show: Telegram founder arrested

Pavel Durov, the CEO of messaging app Telegram, has been arrested in France. For an executive of a big social media company to face a criminal enquiry is highly unusual. Mike Isaac, Tech Correspondent of The New York Times and Steve Rosenberg, Russia Editor for BBC News discuss the case. The Onion, the satirical news website, is relaunching a print edition. Its editor, Chad Nackers, explains the appeal of a traditional newspaper. A Chinese produced video game, Black Myth: Wukong, has become one of the most successful launches ever. Keza McDonald, Games Editor at The Guardian and Frankie Ward, e-sports host and broadcaster discuss this - and other gaming news. Presenter: Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai
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Aug 22, 2024 • 23min

The Media Show - TV’s Hidden Dilemma

To many, we're living through a golden age of TV. But behind the rich offerings for consumers lie several growing structural issues, from a market oversupplied by streamers desperate for subscriptions, to the consequences of the US actors and writers strike, to a downturn in the advertising spend that powers the UK industry. Ros talks to Broadcast Editor Chris Curtis; Stephen Lambert, Chief Executive at Studio Lambert, Andy Harries, CEO of Left Bank Pictures and Claire Lundberg, founder of CTL Scouting; at the Edinburgh International TV Festival. And we talk to Nayeema Raza from Semafor at the Democratic National Convention where Kamala Harris is about to accept her party's nomination for President - all at a time when the candidate is refusing to do media interviews. Presenter: Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai
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Aug 20, 2024 • 17min

US Supreme Court

As one of the smallest Supreme Courts in the world, do nine justices fairly represent the diversity of views in the US? Host Claire Graham talks to the BBC's senior North American reporter Anthony Zurcher about how the ratio of republican to democratic judges has changed over time. The controversy over lifetime tenures of justices is discussed with no set term limits or mandatory retirement ages and we find out why historical court decisions are being overturned.Produced by Cathy Young for the BBC World Service.
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Aug 15, 2024 • 23min

The Media Show: Social media as crime scene

In recent weeks parts of the UK saw violent riots fuelled by misinformation online and anti-immigration sentiment. Some rioters have since been sentenced using evidence from social media. Nazir Afzal, a former Chief Crown Prosecutor, and Lorna Woods, Professor of Internet Law at the University of Essex, explain how it worked. Many of you may have seen Elon Musk’s interview on X with Donald Trump. What impact will his political views and his content moderation policies have on the social media platform? Lara O'Reilly from Business Insider fills us in. And we learn about the art of sports commentary from one of the BBC’s Olympics commentators, Andrew Cotter. Presenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai
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Aug 13, 2024 • 17min

What is the United Nations?

Consisting of 193 member states, the United Nations is a global organisation which strives for peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet. Founded in 1945, it provides a forum for the world's nations to come together, discuss issues and find solutions, which transcend national boundaries. The UN has successfully ended conflicts across the world and has won the Nobel Peace Prize over ten times. However it has been criticized for the alleged abuse of power by nations, inaction and failure to prevent armed conflicts. So in a rapidly changing world – is the UN fit for purpose? Host Claire Graham talks to the BBC North America & UN correspondent Nada Tawfik about the structure, purpose and future of the United Nations. Produced by Cathy Young for BBC World Service.
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Aug 8, 2024 • 37min

The Global Jigsaw: The Taliban’s war on women

The Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan has led to the erasure of women from public life. There’s a UN-led campaign to recognise it as “gender apartheid”, but the international community is divided and lacking leverage. Three years after the group took the capital Kabul, our experts explain what life is like for half of the population and why women have become a proxy for the nation’s image of itself. Producer: Kriszta Satori, Elchin Suleymanov Presenter: Krassi Twigg
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Aug 8, 2024 • 23min

The Media Show: Online rumours and real-world consequences

In parts of the UK, violent protests broke out after the fatal stabbing of three young girls in the English town of Southport – rumours had spread that the suspect was an asylum seeker. Maria Breslin, editor of The Liverpool Echo, Priyanka Raval, reporter at The Bristol Cable and Stephanie Stacey, technology reporter at The Financial Times, have all been reporting the story. Also , a development in the ongoing saga of the Netflix show Baby Reindeer. The alleged subject of the drama is suing the streamer in a huge defamation lawsuit. Now Netflix’s lawyers have fired back - and the court documents are every bit as dramatic as the show itself. Jake Kanter, investigations editor at Deadline, has the details. And what qualities do you need to be a journalist? The National Council for the Training of Journalists say the younger generation lacks confidence when it comes to tasks like cold calling and phone interviews. Presenter: Katie Razzall Assistant producer: Lucy Wai Producer: Simon Richardson
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Aug 6, 2024 • 17min

Big Tech – too big to hide from?

We find out how Big Tech companies may know more about you - than you do.Host Claire Graham talks to the BBC's cyber correspondent for the BBC World Service Joe Tidy, about how Big Tech companies not only track what you do online – but what your friends do – and what your friends of friends do – to then target you through marketing.Billions of people access Big Tech companies on a daily basis – to interact on social media sites – but at what cost – your privacy?Produced by Cathy Young for the BBC World Service.
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Aug 1, 2024 • 23min

The Media Show: Who will inherit the Murdoch empire?

News emerged last week that Rupert Murdoch is attempting to change his family’s legal trust to preserve the editorial stance of his media outlets after his death. Several of his children are fighting back. Jim Rutenberg, writer at large at The New York Times has been following the family for more than two decades. He got the scoop and he joins us alongside Murdoch biographer Claire Atkinson. The BBC’s David Sillito reflects on Huw Edwards’ guilty plea to making indecent images of children - 41 images that had been shared with him by another man on WhatsApp. We look at how the story broke and the challenges of covering it for journalists inside the BBC. Also on the show, Channel 4 News anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy reflects on his experience competing on the TV dance competition, Strictly Come Dancing. Presenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson
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Jul 30, 2024 • 18min

The global arms trade

Which countries supply weapons and which countries buy them? We learn how uncertainty, tension and conflict are leading to increasing military spend across the world. Host Claire Graham talks to the BBC's defence correspondent Jonathan Beale, about the big industry players and their geopolitical ties. Produced by Cathy Young for the BBC World Service.

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