Rephonic
Artwork for The Briefing Room

The Briefing Room

BBC Radio 4
Russia
Ukraine
Donald Trump
United States
Tariffs
China
Israel
European Union
NATO
Iran
Electric Vehicles
Gaza
UK Economy
Climate Change
Artificial Intelligence
Vladimir Putin
Hamas
United Kingdom
Global Trade
Local Government

David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes386Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
News CommentaryNews

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Briefing Room

Latest Episodes

A month ago the Artemis II crew landed safely in the Pacific Ocean, completing their historic space mission to the far side of the moon. It’s been several decades since the last human mission to the moon - although this time there was no landing. How... more

Ask Claude a question, Google a query, order from Amazon, chat with mates on WhatsApp, tune in to Youtube. And where ever you do it from, you’ll never be somehow not in America. Because Britain, like Europe is dependent on US tech and as the AI revol... more

It’s almost two months since the United States and Israel went to war with Iran. And in spite of a ceasefire the vital Strait of Hormuz through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes on tankers, is still effectively clo... more

This month retired people saw their state pensions rise by 4.8 per cent. That’s comfortably above the current inflation rate and means that some pensioners have increases this year of as much as £575. That’s because of the Triple Lock guarantee which... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Stanley Pignal
Europe editor at The Economist
The Economist
Episode: Can Europe build digital sovereignty?
Cecilia Rikap
Associate professor in economics and head of research at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose
University College London
Episode: Can Europe build digital sovereignty?
Seb Johnson
Founder of Scaling Europe, a media company focused on European tech
Scaling Europe
Episode: Can Europe build digital sovereignty?
Joseph Stiglitz
Nobel Prize–winning economist, professor at Columbia University
Columbia University
Episode: What's the conflict in Iran doing to the world economy?
Diana Choyleva
Economist and founder of Enodo Economics
Enodo Economics
Episode: What's the conflict in Iran doing to the world economy?
Carl Emmerson
Partner at London Economics
London Economics
Episode: Is the triple lock pension guarantee sustainable?
Sophie Hale
Research Director
Resolution Foundation
Episode: Is the triple lock pension guarantee sustainable?
Lillian Guerra
Professor of Cuban and Caribbean history; director of the Cuba program at the University of Florida
University of Florida
Episode: Will Trump take Cuba?
Will Grant
BBC correspondent for Mexico, Central America and Cuba
BBC
Episode: Will Trump take Cuba?

Host

David Aaronovitch
Host of The Briefing Room

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 1.1k ratings
  • Short, sharp, focused.

    My favorite podcast! The Newscast team could learn a lot from this one.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Anders Torp
    Sweden6 months ago
  • Exceptional broadcasting

    David interrogates a panel of subject experts to explain (only allowing accessible language) very complicated but current issues. The episode of 23 October ‘market crash’, is an exceptional example. Have a listen you’ll learn - I promise. Thank you BBC Thank you David

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Emma Eveleigh
    United Kingdom7 months ago
  • 👌

    Always very high quality and relevance. Excellent in depth discussions.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    mrakwekwe
    Swedena year ago
  • Very informative, great to hear the background explained clearly. But such a tragic situation.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Fiona JW
    2 years ago
  • BR usually 5 star but here no mention at all of left of centre French politics....

    Podcast Addict
    3
    chrisdye
    2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality, in-depth discussions that stay relevant across topics.
The show is consistently insightful, delivering punchy, balanced analysis with top guests.
Some notes mention strong preferences about guest voices or tone in specific episodes, but overall the feedback is positive about the rigor and clarity.
Listeners praise the host's thorough, principled questioning and the depth of expert panels.
Many describe it as essential listening for understanding current affairs with credible experts.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Will Trump take Cuba?
Q: What sparked the latest Cuban crisis and why did oil become such a critical lever?
The crisis intensified after the Trump administration cut oil supplies to Cuba, which led to a severe energy shortfall; the regime depended on foreign oil, and private sector channels became essential, though limited, in keeping lights and basic services functioning.
Iran - how vulnerable is the regime?
Q: Arash Azizi, how do these recent protests compare with others we've seen in the past?
These protests are the largest since 2009 and have been more insurrectionary and rejectionist of the regime compared to previous movements.
Iran - how vulnerable is the regime?
Q: Can you tell us who was actually doing the repressing?
Repression was carried out by various state organs including the army, police, and Revolutionary Guard, with a crackdown resulting in thousands of deaths.
Iran - how vulnerable is the regime?
Q: Kasra Naji, can you remind us how this spate of protests began?
The protests started unexpectedly at the end of December with shopkeepers in Tehran's bazaar, who were protesting the economic collapse due to mismanagement and sanctions.
What can the UK learn from the rest of Europe about asylum reform?
Q: What impact have those policies had?
Denmark reported the lowest number of asylum applications in 40 years due to its tough policies.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Briefing Room

What is The Briefing Room about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The program offers concise, in-depth analysis of current affairs through panel-driven discussions that illuminate complex issues in politics, economics, and international relations. Episodes frequently center on the mechanics of news events, geopolitical developments, policy debates, and the implications of government actions, often featuring multiple experts and insiders who tease apart nuance and present evidence-based perspectives. A standout aspect is the structured, troubling-to-optimistic spectrum of coverage: topics are timely, well-researched, and explained with clear reasoning, making it a strong resource for professionals seeking a deeper understanding of how global events connect to policy and markets. The format tends to be punc... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Briefing Room?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Briefing Room. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Briefing Room and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Briefing Room get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Briefing Room, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Briefing Room?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Briefing Room, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Briefing Room have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Briefing Room has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Briefing Room?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Briefing Room:

1. More or Less
2. The Week in Westminster
3. Political Thinking with Nick Robinson
4. Political Fix
5. Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

How many episodes of The Briefing Room are there?

The Briefing Room launched 10 years ago and published 386 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Briefing Room?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Briefing Room?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Briefing Room from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Briefing Room?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Briefing Room. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Briefing Room?

Recent guests on The Briefing Room include:

1. Stanley Pignal
2. Cecilia Rikap
3. Seb Johnson
4. Joseph Stiglitz
5. Diana Choyleva
6. Carl Emmerson
7. Sophie Hale
8. Lillian Guerra

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days