The Real Story

BBC World Service

4.2 (18)
GOVERNMENT

Global experts and decision makers discuss, debate and analyse a key news story.

29 MAR

Bonus: Evan Gershkovich - a year since my friend was jailed in Russia

The Wall Street Journal reporter, who is the first US journalist charged with spying in Russia since the Cold War, has now been imprisoned for a year. His detention has been repeatedly extended and he is yet to face trial. His family, colleagues and the US government vehemently deny the accusations. We talk with two BBC journalists who know Evan - Will Vernon and James Beardsworth. We hear what he’s like as a friend and journalist, and what his detention means for reporting on Russia. The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC experts around the world, with Katya Adler. We’re keen to hear from you, wherever you are in the world. #TheGlobalStory We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell The Global Story. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note on WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480. Today’s podcast was made by Bethan Ashmead Latham, Alice Aylett Roberts and Richard Moran. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

24 min
29 MAR

Is the future of journalism in crisis?

Over the past year thousands of journalists have lost their jobs as mass media news organisations struggle to make ends meet. Ad revenue is down, many publishers are struggling to gain subscribers, and social media has resulted in plummeting traffic to homepages. More than a third of people worldwide say they sometimes or often actively avoid the news, many citing their mental health and concerns that they can’t do anything about the problems reported. Meanwhile advancements in artificial intelligence promise rapid changes to the way journalism is done. So, what’s the future of journalism? Shaun Ley is joined by: Emily Bell, director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia Journalism School Benjamin Toff, assistant professor of journalism at the University of Minnesota, a research associate at the Reuters Institute and co-author of the book: ‘Avoiding the News: Reluctant Audiences for Journalism’ LaSharah S. Bunting, CEO and executive director of the Online News Association Produced by Max Horberry and Paul Schuster (Photo: Getty)

49 min
28 MAR

Bonus: Hidden reality of frontline combat through the eyes of Ukraine's soldiers

A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. In a new BBC documentary, a single Ukrainian infantry company find themselves in a life or death battle to defend the eastern front against intense Russian attacks. Jamie Roberts tells us how he managed to get such rare access and what the fate of these men tells us about the reality of the frontlines in Ukraine. The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We’re keen to hear from you, wherever you are in the world. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell The Global Story. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480. #TheGlobalStory The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app. This episode was made by Neal Razzell, Peter Goffin, Laurie Kalus, and Rachel Hagan. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

27 min
27 MAR

Bonus: Sam Bankman-Fried's multibillion dollar FTX fraud

A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. Sam Bankman-Fried was the golden boy of cryptocurrency. He was dubbed the king and saviour of the industry. But this week he will be sentenced to possibly decades in prison for fraud and money laundering, and his firm, FTX, went bankrupt. Joe Tidy, the BBC's cyber correspondent tells us about SBF - the man he interviewed before his trial. And Erin Delmore, our North America business correspondent explains what his downfall means for the future of crypto. The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We’re keen to hear from you, wherever you are in the world. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell The Global Story. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480. #TheGlobalStory The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app. This episode was made by Peter Goffin, Neal Razzel, Beth Timmins and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Matt Hewitt. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

27 min
26 MAR

Bonus: The curse of the world's fastest growing economy

A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. When Guyana discovered huge offshore oil reserves in 2015, it transformed the prospects of a country which had a been an economic and political backwater. But, as one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, will drilling for oil be a windfall or a curse in the long run? Stephen Sackur has just returned from Guyana for the BBC's HardTalk programme where he spoke to the people making the decisions about Guyana's future, and the people who will have to live with the consequences. The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We’re keen to hear from you, wherever you are in the world. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell The Global Story. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480. #TheGlobalStory The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app. This episode was made by Richard Moran. The technical producer was Matt Hewitt. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

27 min
25 MAR

Bonus: Insight on Islamic State Group + Miami stops the party

A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. On this episode, we’re covering two very different stories. After the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack on a concert hall in Moscow, we’re revisiting a previous episode asking how much of a threat the group still pose. Mina al-Lami from BBC Monitoring tells us that the groups fortunes fell in 2023, with them claiming far fewer attacks. And Josh Baker from The Shamima Begum Story podcast joins us to explain why they still pose a credible threat. Previous episode: Islamic State group – spent force or present threat? https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0h42vkq Also, as spring approaches in the United States, millions of young people are heading off on spring break. But some cities have had enough of student revellers unwinding and the chaos that can arrive with them. Terry Ward, a travel writer and BBC contributor tells us what it’s like to go on spring break. And Beatriz Diaz from BBC Mundo explains why Miami is discouraging spring breakers. The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We’re keen to hear from you, wherever you are in the world. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell The Global Story. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480. #TheGlobalStory The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app. This episode was made by Alice Aylett Roberts and Emilia Jansson. The technical producers were Mike Regaard and Hannah Montgomery. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

27 min
22 MAR

How can Boeing win back trust?

The plane maker’s safety record is in the spotlight after a series of incidents. In January an unused door blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines shortly after take-off. An initial report from the US National Transportation Safety Board concluded that four bolts meant to attach the door securely to the aircraft had not been fitted. Prior to the incident, there had been other serious problems on the 737 Max production line, including the discovery of manufacturing defects affecting key parts of the planes, as well as a part protecting the central fuel tank against lightning strikes. A version of the 737 Max was also involved in two major accidents in late 2018 and early 2019, in which 346 people were killed. Those crashes were attributed to badly-designed flight control software. After the most recent incident, Boeing’s president Dave Calhoun said the company would be "implementing a comprehensive plan to strengthen quality and the confidence of our stakeholders.” So, what does Boeing need to do to win back trust? Celia Hatton is joined by a panel of expert guests. David Soucie - A former top flight accident inspector with the US Federal Aviation Administration (the FAA) and author of "Why Planes Crash". Oriana Pawlyk - Aviation reporter for Politico. Sally Gethin - An independent global aviation and travel analyst. Also in the programme: Captain Dennis Tajer - Lead spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association and a pilot for American Airlines. John Strickland - Aviation analyst and director of JLS Consulting. Image: The Boeing logo as seen at the Farnborough International Airshow. Credit: Reuters/Peter Cziborra.

50 min
15 MAR

Should we be afraid of TikTok?

The US House of Representatives has passed a landmark bill that could see TikTok effectively banned. It would give the social media giant's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, six months to sell its controlling stake or the app would face blocks in the US. Supporters of the bill say the app’s links with China make it a national security risk. Opponents argue that tens of millions of Americans rely on the platform and that the real problem isn’t with TikTok, but with a lack of regulation of social media and technology giants in general. So, what should the United States do about TikTok? Celia Hatton is joined by a panel of expert guests. Jeremy Goldkorn - Editorial Fellow at the Asia Society's ChinaFile website, founding editor-in-chief of The China Project and cofounder of the Sinica Podcast. Lindsay P. Gorman - Head of Technology and Geopolitics Team at the transatlantic, non-partisan Alliance for Securing Democracy. Louise Matsakis - A freelance journalist covering technology and China. She writes ‘You May Also Like’, a newsletter about e-commerce and Chinese tech giants. Image: TikTok app logo. Reuters/Dado Ruvic

50 min

See All (444)

4.2

out of 5

18 Ratings

Masterful

18/04/2020

Petit Cintre

The ability to ask relevant questions from knowledgeable guests, weaving a coherent commentary while avoiding a screaming match, marks this program. I listen to French and US emissions as well, but they rarely achieve this level of mastery.
My favourite news pod

10/12/2016

Rsblyth

Easily my favourite news pod at the moment. Owen Bennet Jone(s) is an excellent moderator who would have a made a valuable to the recent debates during the us elections. Interesting topics very well covered. I look forward to hearing some more controversial topics in the future.
Biased BBC

08/03/2020

epoqueepique

The BBC used to be the one (and almost only) intelligent broadcast where you could listen to all opinions on one debated subject : where you could learn and think. Those days are over. The BBC, like all other closed self-censored radio broadcasts, is inviting and airing only one opinion: here, the progressive mainstream politically correct views. Calling this show “The REAL story” makes it worse.

Global experts and decision makers discuss, debate and analyse a key news story.

Creator

BBC World Service
Years Active

2015 - 2024
Episodes

444
Rating

Clean
Show Website

The Real Story
Provider

BBC Studios Distribution Limited has identified itself as a trader for this podcast and confirmed that this product or service complies with European Union law. Address 1 Television Centre 101 Wood Lane London London W12 7FA United Kingdom Phone Number +44 7590176301 Email greg.styger@bbc.com