The Explanation

BBC World Service

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.

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346 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes346

Newest first

Sep 18, 2025 · 22 min
The Media Show: Reporting Charlie Kirk’s killing
How journalists have covered the murder of a polarising figure
Sep 15, 2025 · 25 min
The President’s Path: The killing of Charlie Kirk
The killing of Charlie Kirk and reaction from across the political divide
Sep 12, 2025 · 26 min
Unspun World: Protests hit France as new PM takes office
Is France's latest political crisis a signal of long-term decline?
Sep 11, 2025 · 22 min
The Media Show: Super Mario Bros at 40
Why Nintendo’s 1985 adventure is remembered as a turning point for video games
Sep 5, 2025 · 25 min
The President’s Path: Trump's troubles
Trump enters a new political season as Congress returns from its summer recess
Sep 4, 2025 · 22 min
The Media Show: France’s political crisis
Coverage of François Bayrou’s political gamble and the rise of ‘Bloquons Tout’
Aug 29, 2025 · 25 min
The President’s Path: Trump’s law and order
Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard draws equal parts praise and concern
Aug 28, 2025 · 22 min
The Media Show: The mystery freelancer
Outlets remove articles amid suspicions AI was behind a freelance byline
Aug 22, 2025 · 25 min
The President’s Path: Trump the peacemaker?
Trump’s quest for peace and a shot at the Nobel Prize
Aug 21, 2025 · 22 min
The Media Show: Trump, Zelensky and the cameras
Journalists on covering Zelensky’s White House talks with Donald Trump
Aug 15, 2025 · 24 min
The President’s Path: Trump’s Latino base
Will Trump’s Latino base hold in the 2026 midterms?
Aug 14, 2025 · 22 min
The Media Show: Interview of an AI avatar
How the AI avatar of a school shooting victim was made – and interviewed.
Aug 11, 2025 · 25 min
The President’s Path: Democratic offensive
The Democrats’ new playbook to reshape America’s political map
Aug 7, 2025 · 22 min
The Media Show: Taiwan’s war drama tests political boundaries on screen
A fictional Chinese attack sparks debate over Taiwan’s media and censorship
Aug 1, 2025 · 25 min
The President’s Path: Trump’s grievances
From Biden to windmills: Who’s on Trump’s grievance list?
Jul 31, 2025 · 22 min
The Media Show: Is AI polluting the internet beyond repair?
“Dead internet theory” raises questions about trust, authenticity and AI’s role in news
Jul 25, 2025 · 25 min
The President’s Path: Trump’s first six months back in office
Navigating trade wars, immigration policies, and rising international tensions
Jul 24, 2025 · 22 min
The Media Show: YouTubers and the migrant hotel protest
Footage from citizen journalists challenges traditional news coverage of Epping disorder
Jul 18, 2025 · 24 min
The President's Path: Why are Epstein files dividing MAGA and Trump?
Trump faces backlash from his base as demands grow for Epstein file transparency
Jul 17, 2025 · 22 min
The Media Show: A superinjunction that gagged the media
A government data leak led to press blackout. How journalists challenged the court order