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.
Featuring new episodes of The President's Path, Unspun World with John Simpson, and The Media Show.
Episodes to download
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The President's Path: Trump’s midterm messaging
Friday
Trump's ratings are at an all-time low. What does that mean for the midterms in November?
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Unspun World: What’s at stake for Iran’s regime?
Friday
John Simpson analyses the Iranian position in its confrontation with the US in the Gulf
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The Media Show: The accidental Â鶹Éç News star
Thursday
How Guy Coma arrived for a job interview, ended up on live television, and created a meme
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The President's Path: Is Trump safe?
Fri 1 May 2026
The US president is arguably the world’s most protected person, but is he safe enough?
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Unspun World: Trump's exit strategy from Iran
Fri 1 May 2026
John Simpson looks at the pressure on President Trump to find an end to the Iran war
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The Media Show: I’m a Celebrity… get me a lawyer!
Thu 30 Apr 2026
Assessing allegations of misleading edits on ITV’s flagship reality show
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The President's Path: Trump goes quiet
Fri 24 Apr 2026
Is President Trump dialing down the rhetoric in order to get a peace deal over the line?
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Unspun World: US-Iran standoff over Strait of Hormuz escalates
Fri 24 Apr 2026
John Simpson analyses the confrontation between Iran and the United States in the Gulf
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The Media Show: Building the Uncanny empire
Thu 23 Apr 2026
Danny Robbins on how his paranormal podcast grew into a TV, stage and YouTube hit.
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The President's Path: Trump's legacy
Fri 17 Apr 2026
Will the war in Iran be President Trump's legacy?
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The Media Show: Artemis II and Nasa’s media machine
Thu 16 Apr 2026
How Houston shaped coverage of the landmark Artemis II mission to t he moon and back
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The President’s Path: The political consequences of war and peace for Trump
Fri 10 Apr 2026
How Americans view the Iran conflict, how they see Israel and President Trump's conduct
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The Media Show: Investigating Sam Altman
Thu 9 Apr 2026
The world’s most famous investigative journalist on his report into the OpenAI boss
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The President's Path: Trump’s address over the Iran war
Fri 3 Apr 2026
What the president said and didn’t say in his address over the Iran war
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The Media Show: How far should reporters go with AI?
Thu 2 Apr 2026
The journalist using AI to produce over 600 stories a year
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The President's Path: Is the US fighting two wars against Iran?
Fri 27 Mar 2026
How the US-Israel war on Iran has developed into a second conflict
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Unspun World: US pauses strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure
Fri 27 Mar 2026
John Simpson analyses Donald Trump’s decision to halt attacks against Iran’s power plants
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The Media Show: Cold-calling Trump
Thu 26 Mar 2026
The journalists with the President’s personal number - and how they use it.
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The President's Path: Trump slams allies over Iran war help
Fri 20 Mar 2026
The US-Israel war on Iran has put strain on some of Washington's closest global alliances
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Unspun World: How is the Iran war impacting the global economy?
Fri 20 Mar 2026
John Simpson analyses the economic effects of the war in the Middle East
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The Media Show: Reporting from Inside Iran
Thu 19 Mar 2026
How CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen was one of the first journalists to gain access to the war
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The President's Path: Trump’s mixed messages over war on Iran
Fri 13 Mar 2026
Mixed messages leave more questions than answers over the US-Israel war with Iran
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Unspun World: What do people in Iran think about the war?
Fri 13 Mar 2026
Caroline Hawley explores what life in Iran is like as the war intensifies
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The Media Show: Who’s shaping American media?
Thu 12 Mar 2026
Ros Atkins speaks to Mehdi Hasan, Jeffrey Goldberg, Sarah Smith and Johnny Harris
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The Strait of Hormuz
Fri 6 Mar 2026
The Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway that carries 20% of the world’s oil.
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Unspun World: Can Iran hold out against US-Israeli strikes?
Fri 6 Mar 2026
John Simpson analyses whether the Iranian regime will survive
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The Media Show: Iran and the bigger story
Thu 5 Mar 2026
Have journalists overlooked global power changes behind events in Iran?
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Trump’s Texas showdown
Fri 27 Feb 2026
Which Republican will Trump endorse and can the Democrats flip the the Texas primaries?
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Unspun World: Russia-Ukraine war enters its fifth year
Fri 27 Feb 2026
John Simpson explores the mood in Ukraine after four years of war
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The Media Show: The Andrew photo
Thu 26 Feb 2026
The backstory of an image that has defined the Royal crisis.
