The Explainer

By TheJournal.ie

What's The Explainer about?

The Explainer is a new weekly podcast from TheJournal.ie that takes a deeper look at one big news story you need to know about. What's the background? Why is this in the news? Get the facts behind the story from Ireland's biggest news website.

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LAST EPISODE

Why are Covid cases rising ...

10.21.2021

Nicky Ryan, author of The Journal's coronavirus newsletter, and Dr Gerald Barry, assistant professor of virology at UCD, join us on this week's episode to examine the latest concerning rise in the number of Covid cases. How much pressure are ...

The Explainer episodes:

10.21.2021 Why are Covid cases rising despite Ireland's high vaccination rate? Nicky Ryan, author of The Journal's coronavirus newsletter, and Dr Gerald Barry, assistant professor of virology at UCD, join us on this week's episode to examine the latest concerning rise in the number of Covid cases. How much pressure are ...
10.14.2021 Who is Stephen Kenny and why does he divide opinion in Irish football? The 42's Gavin Cooney joins us on this week's episode to examine Stephen Kenny's role as manager of the Republic of Ireland men's soccer team - why is he proving so controversial, just how poorly has the team performed recently, ...
10.12.2021 By Noteworthy: What is the issue with farm subsidies and nature? In another episode by Noteworthy, Susan Daly speaks to journalist Ella McSweeney and reporter Niall Sargent about how the EU's agri-subsidies (Common Agricultural Policy, CAP) are encouraging farmers to cut back on nature. The Explainer is brought to you by ...
10.09.2021 How is post-Brexit Britain handling migration? Our reporter Gráinne Ní Aodha and immigration journalist CJ McKinney join us this week to look at how post-Brexit Britain is handling migration. They share insights from the latest instalment of The Good Information Project, which looked at everything from ...
10.01.2021 What does 'missing white woman syndrome' tell us about media coverage of missing people? Washington Post reporter Brittany Shammas and our producer Aoife Barry join us to discuss how recent high-profile murders raise questions about the media's handling of missing person cases.
09.23.2021 Why are there fears about Ireland facing power shortages this winter? Most people will have heard some talk recently about household energy bills rising and the shortage of natural gas. This week, Sinéad O’Carroll speaks to The Journal's business reporter Ian Curran and Muireann Á Lynch of the ESRI about the ...
09.16.2021 Should we be ordering our Christmas presents now? Yes, we're talking about Christmas in September. Our reporter Ian Curran joins us to discuss the strains facing global supply chains and how it could result in some items being hard to find during the busy winter retail season. And ...
09.10.2021 Where does Ireland fit into the space race? Space expert Leo Enright joins us on this week's episode to look up at the heavens, and examine what role Ireland plays in getting more stuff up there. We discuss how space technology can benefit us on Earth, the ins ...
09.03.2021 By Noteworthy: What can be done to halt the decline of our biodiversity? In a bonus episode, brought to you by our investigative team at Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with reporter Niall Sargent about the state of Ireland’s biodiversity and what needs to be done to better protect it.
08.30.2021 How is Australia battling its biggest Covid outbreak to date? Peter Bodkin, formerly of this parish but now editor of AAP Factcheck in Sydney, joins us to look at how Australia is handling its latest Covid outbreak. What is life like right now, how is the vaccine rollout going, and ...
08.26.2021 What's the future for women in Afghanistan? As Afghanistan descends further into an uncertain future, we're joined by Heather Barr, associate director of the women's rights division at Human Rights Watch, to look at what lies ahead for women in the country. Barr, who lived in Afghanistan ...
08.19.2021 Is Ireland doing enough to fight climate change? Journalist John Gibbons and our reporter Lauren Boland join us on this week's episode to look at the recent stark report on climate change from the IPCC and what it means for Ireland. Are Ireland's targets enough for the country ...
08.13.2021 What happened to Ireland’s rail network - and what's its future? Our reporter Lauren Boland joins us to examine how Ireland went from having an expansive rail network, with thousands of kilometres of track, to some counties having little or no access to rail services at all. Was it all just ...
08.05.2021 From the Olympics to Ryanair flights, why is Belarus making international headlines? Radio Free Europe's Moscow correspondent Matthew Luxmoore joins us on this week's episode to examine Belarus and the hold of 'Europe's last dictator' on the country. We look at who Alexander Lukashenko is as well as the background to recent ...
07.29.2021 What sparked rare protests in Cuba? Author and former editor of The Observer Magazine Ruaridh Nicoll joins us from Havana to examine what sparked recent widespread protests in Cuba. He shares what life is like on the island right now, how we likely haven't seen the ...
07.21.2021 Why does the British government want to stop Troubles prosecutions? David Blevins, senior Ireland correspondent with Sky News, joins us on this week's episode to examine proposals to ban prosecutions for killings that took place during the Troubles - what's the exact aim, what do the families of victims want ...
07.15.2021 What could your holidays look like for the rest of the year? Travel writer Eoghan Corry and our producer Nicky Ryan look ahead to holidays in 2021 - how will the Digital Covid Certificate work, will I have to quarantine, and what is it actually like to holiday in other EU countries ...
07.07.2021 What is the mica scandal and how has it affected homeowners? Our senior reporter Michelle Hennessy joins us to delve into the mica scandal. What exactly is it, how has it impacted the homes - and lives - of those affected, and what are the issues with the support available?
07.02.2021 What is going on with the National Maternity Hospital? Our reporter Gráinne Ní Aodha sets us straight on everything to do with the new National Maternity Hospital - why is the hospital moving, who will be in control of it, and what are the top clinicians saying?
06.24.2021 How much do we know right now about the Delta variant? TCD virus expert Dr Kim Roberts and our senior reporter Michelle Hennessy join us to explain just how much more contagious the Delta variant of the coronavirus is, what the latest data on vaccine efficacy tells us, and why it ...
06.17.2021 What's all this about a Brexit sausage war? BBC Radio Foyle's Dominic McGrath and our own Gráinne Ní Aodha join us to discuss the latest Brexit spat and why it's being dubbed a sausage trade war. How could it be resolved, what is the fallout going to be, ...
06.11.2021 What's next for the Mother and Baby Home commission? Renowned archivist Catriona Crowe and our reporter Órla Ryan join us to discuss the latest controversy over the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes - what problems are becoming apparent with the report, what did one of its ...
06.04.2021 Who are the Uighurs and what is going on in China? For the latest instalment of The Good Information Project we are joined by Clifford Coonan to talk about claims of human rights abuses in the Xinjiang autonomous region of China.
05.27.2021 Why are you hearing so much about cryptocurrency? Nick Charalambous, managing director of Alpha Wealth, and our business reporter Ian Curran join us on this week's episode to talk cryptocurrencies. Why are they grabbing headlines, what's driving their prices up and down, and is it actually a good ...
05.23.2021 What is the impact of the HSE cyberattack? Brian Honan, cybersecurity expert and CEO of BH Consulting, and our senior reporter Michelle Hennessy join us to discuss the impact of the cyberattack on the HSE. What is ransomware, how do you go about fixing the damage done, and ...
05.13.2021 What's the story with rapid Covid tests? Our reporter Cónal Thomas examines what a Covid antigen test is, and why the sale of them in Lidl has sparked such debate. He explains how their results should be (cautiously) interpreted, as well as how they are already being ...
05.07.2021 How has Covid changed the way we work? Our reporters Sean Murray, Adam Daly, and Brian Whelan join us to discuss the latest instalment of The Good Information Project, examining how the pandemic could have a lasting impact on the way we work. How soon might be people ...
04.30.2021 Why did Arlene Foster make the shock decision to step down as DUP leader? Last week, Arlene Foster abstained in on a vote on banning gay conversion therapy. That decision snowballed this week into Foster being effectively ousted as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party following a letter of no confidence from a majority ...
04.21.2021 Why did everyone hit the roof over plans for a football Super League? It was impossible to escape the news of plans for a European Super League this week - plans which soon fell apart. The42's Gavin Cooney is on hand to explain the ins and outs of the brief saga, how much ...
04.15.2021 From influencers to QAnon - how misinformation changed in Ireland over the past year Our deputy editor Christine Bohan and Ciarán O'Connor of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue join us on this week's episode to look at how the spread of misinformation has evolved in Ireland over the past year. Who is it targeting, ...
04.10.2021 Has the pandemic had an effect on housing prices? Ronan Lyons, associate professor of economics at Trinity College Dublin, joins us on this week's podcast to examine what impact the pandemic is having on housing prices. Are prices being pushed up, or were they drifting up anyway? And what's ...
04.01.2021 How likely is a united Ireland in the next 10 years? Our reporters Rónán Duffy and Gráinne Ní Aodha examine the possibility of - and the appetite for - a united Ireland in the next decade. How would a border poll work, and what's this Shared Ireland Unit the government set ...
03.24.2021 Why is there talk of an EU-UK 'vaccine war'? Our reporters Gráinne Ní Aodha and Michelle Hennessy join us to examine why vaccines are causing tensions to almost boil over between the European Union and the United Kingdom. The former is now weighing up plans to halt exports of ...
03.19.2021 How do you get nominated for an Oscar? Co-director of Wolfwalkers, Tomm Moore, joins us on this week's episode to discuss the film's nomination for an Academy Award. What type of groundwork goes into it, what does it mean to even get close to winning an Oscar, and ...
03.11.2021 Banks, brokers, and bonds are back in the news - should we be worried (again)? Our business reporter Ian Curran joins us to look at recent stories about banks and brokers, from Ulster Bank pulling out of Ireland and Bank of Ireland closing branches, to Davy being fined over a 2014 transaction. Should we be ...
03.04.2021 What is the government's radical new plan for Direct Provision? Nick Henderson, CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, our reporter Cónal Thomas, as well as Ola Mustapha, who lives in Direct Provision, join us on this week's episode to explore the new plan to bring the current regime of Direct ...
02.24.2021 Why is the government changing the Living With Covid plan again? Is there anything to be said for another Covid plan? Our Political Correspondent Christina Finn and Senior Reporter Michelle Hennessy join us to examine the latest changes to the Living With Covid framework. What are the government's aims for the ...
02.18.2021 What's the latest with Ireland's vaccine rollout? Our reporters Órla Ryan and Michelle Hennessy bring us to speed with the latest on Ireland's Covid vaccine rollout. What happens once the over 70s are vaccinated, what's the latest estimate on when the entire rollout might be complete, and ...
02.11.2021 What is Article 16, and why has it been causing hassle? TheJournal.ie's Brexit reporter Gráinne Ní Aodha and BBC Radio Foyle's Dominic McGrath (formerly of this parish) join us on this week's episode to examine Article 16, and why it has lead to problems in Dublin, Belfast, London, and Brussels. What ...
02.03.2021 Delivery woes, efficacy questions, and Brexit - what's going on with AstraZeneca? Our reporters Ian Curran and Michelle Hennessy lay the entire AstraZeneca vaccine saga out on the table and go through it piece by piece - from the initial questions over its clinical trials, its success in the UK, to the ...
01.28.2021 What happens next with Trump's impeachment - and what does it mean for his future? Larry Donnelly, NUIG lecturer and TheJournal.ie's columnist, joins us on this week's episode to look at Trump's second impeachment. What happens next, how likely is it that he will be convicted in the Senate, and what does it all mean ...
01.21.2021 What are the issues with the mother and baby home report? Dr Ciara Breathnach, associate professor at the University of Limerick, and our reporters Cónal Thomas and Órla Ryan, examine the findings of the mother and baby home report, and how it could provide more questions than answers.
01.13.2021 In Depth: A GP, nurse, ICU consultant and contact tracer on working during the third wave Ireland's third wave of Covid-19 is putting the health service under unprecedented strain. We speak to those on the frontlines about what they're experiencing.
01.06.2021 The third wave - what happened, and what restrictions are in place? Our reporters Michelle Hennessy and Cónal Thomas bring up to date on the latest restrictions; the discussion over what led to the rocketing Covid-19 case numbers; how vaccination is going; and how the healthcare system is coping.
12.29.2020 Out favourite explanations of 2020 As this tumultuous year draws to a close, The Explainer team sits down to pick their favourite clips from the year.
12.22.2020 Interview: RTÉ's Brian O'Donovan on reporting in Trump's America - and what 2021 holds for Biden Sinéad O'Carroll chats to RTÉ Washington Correspondent Brian O'Donovan about reporting on the ground in Trump's America and how his achievements compare to his 2016 promises. We also look ahead to 2021 and the uphill battle Joe Biden faces one ...
12.16.2020 How Ireland plans to roll-out Covid-19 vaccines Our senior reporter Michelle Hennessy shares all the detail you need on the plan to roll-out Covid-19 vaccines in Ireland, including who gets the first doses, who will be administering the vaccine, where you'll get it, and a rough idea ...
12.11.2020 Virologist Dr Cillian de Gascun on how Covid-19 vaccines work Ireland could start its rollout of a Covid vaccine as soon as next month, but how exactly do they work? We're joined on this week's episode by head of the National Virus Reference Laboratory and NPHET member Dr Cillian De ...
12.05.2020 Why has the Irish media been barred from reporting the names of children who have been murdered? RTÉ legal affairs correspondent Órla O'Donnell and Fianna Fáil's Jim O'Callaghan join us on this week's episode to discuss a surprise ruling which means that Irish media can no longer report the names of children who have been murdered. We ...
11.26.2020 Why is the 27th Amendment back in the news? We speak to doctoral researcher Hilary Hogan to examine the 27th Amendment. Unanimously passed in 2004, it meant that children born to non-Irish citizens would no longer be entitled to birthright citizenship. New legislation proposed by Labour seeks to provide ...

Older episodes

The Explainer

What's The Explainer about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Explainer episodes:

Why are Covid cases rising despite Ireland's high vaccination rate?

Who is Stephen Kenny and why does he divide opinion in Irish football?

By Noteworthy: What is the issue with farm subsidies and nature?

How is post-Brexit Britain handling migration?

What does 'missing white woman syndrome' tell us about media coverage of missing people?

Why are there fears about Ireland facing power shortages this winter?

Should we be ordering our Christmas presents now?

Where does Ireland fit into the space race?

By Noteworthy: What can be done to halt the decline of our biodiversity?

How is Australia battling its biggest Covid outbreak to date?

What's the future for women in Afghanistan?

Is Ireland doing enough to fight climate change?

What happened to Ireland’s rail network - and what's its future?

From the Olympics to Ryanair flights, why is Belarus making international headlines?

What sparked rare protests in Cuba?

Why does the British government want to stop Troubles prosecutions?

What could your holidays look like for the rest of the year?

What is the mica scandal and how has it affected homeowners?

What is going on with the National Maternity Hospital?

How much do we know right now about the Delta variant?

What's all this about a Brexit sausage war?

What's next for the Mother and Baby Home commission?

Who are the Uighurs and what is going on in China?

Why are you hearing so much about cryptocurrency?

What is the impact of the HSE cyberattack?

What's the story with rapid Covid tests?

How has Covid changed the way we work?

Why did Arlene Foster make the shock decision to step down as DUP leader?

Why did everyone hit the roof over plans for a football Super League?

From influencers to QAnon - how misinformation changed in Ireland over the past year

Has the pandemic had an effect on housing prices?

How likely is a united Ireland in the next 10 years?

Why is there talk of an EU-UK 'vaccine war'?

How do you get nominated for an Oscar?

Banks, brokers, and bonds are back in the news - should we be worried (again)?

What is the government's radical new plan for Direct Provision?

Why is the government changing the Living With Covid plan again?

What's the latest with Ireland's vaccine rollout?

What is Article 16, and why has it been causing hassle?

Delivery woes, efficacy questions, and Brexit - what's going on with AstraZeneca?

What happens next with Trump's impeachment - and what does it mean for his future?

What are the issues with the mother and baby home report?

In Depth: A GP, nurse, ICU consultant and contact tracer on working during the third wave

The third wave - what happened, and what restrictions are in place?

Out favourite explanations of 2020

Interview: RTÉ's Brian O'Donovan on reporting in Trump's America - and what 2021 holds for Biden

How Ireland plans to roll-out Covid-19 vaccines

Virologist Dr Cillian de Gascun on how Covid-19 vaccines work

Why has the Irish media been barred from reporting the names of children who have been murdered?

Why is the 27th Amendment back in the news?

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