
The Explainer is a weekly podcast from The Journal 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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| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 423 | Founded | 7 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Category | News | |||

Britain has a new prime minister (again): Andy Burnham, the "King of the North", its seventh in ten years and the first to take office openly Catholic. What kind of leader is he, how did he get here, and what does his rise mean for Ireland? Dominic M... more
This summer, The Journal is releasing a six-part series of The Explainer podcast through Irish, focusing on some of the biggest stories affecting the language and the Gaeltacht areas. This week, we are taking a look at artificial intelligence and Iri... more
Last autumn, the old Joint Policing Committees were replaced with new Local Community Safety Partnerships. All 36 are now up and running, and the first public meetings are happening. Are they any more open than the structure they replaced, and are th... more
For decades, George Gibney was one of the biggest names in Irish swimming. The 77-year-old was convicted this week of 40 counts of sexually abusing four girls in the 1970s and 80s, after an 11-day trial at the Central Criminal Court. The Journal's Ja... more
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Another interesting and thought provoking ‘Explainer ‘ episode. I enjoyed this wide ranging and engrossing discussion re Shein and the clothing industry.
I appreciate the regular nature of this podcast . Is very informative . Good journalism in that tradition of seeking to inform in a relatively unbiased way . Thank you
Nice gem of a podcast, Bertie explainer was excellent.
Really appreciate getting fact based information regarding issues, processes and systems in Ireland, without bias. However, some podcasts I find are like sitting in a board meeting rather than painting a picture to a lay person that really makes us understand it. More engaging scripts would really help when all this amazing research is being done. Thanks for your work
Excellent explainer from a consultant Pediatrician about RSV
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #76 |
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Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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This show provides concise, evidence-based explorations of major Irish and international issues, often anchored by expert guests and data-driven context. Recent episodes span topics like energy policy, housing and planning, national security, and governance, with a consistent emphasis on how policy choices shape everyday life. The format typically features in-depth analysis, practical implications, and a clear attempt to separate facts from opinion, making it a solid resource for listeners seeking informed, rational discussion on timely topics. A notable strength is its ability to combine legal, economic, and social perspectives with on-the-ground reporting and expert viewpoints.
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Explainer. 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 Explainer and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
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Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Explainer, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with The Explainer:
1. The Indo Daily
2. In The News
3. Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan
4. Inside Business with Ciaran Hancock
5. The Last Word with Matt Cooper
The Explainer launched 7 years ago and published 423 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Explainer 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.
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Explainer. 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.
Recent guests on The Explainer include:
1. Dawn Russell
2. Niall O'Connor
3. Kate Demolder
4. Gabriel Fitzpatrick
5. Michael Byrne
6. Daragh Brophy
7. Pádraig Lyons
8. Robin Mandal
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.