Looking at the world through the lens of its media.
Israel Gaza war: Global perspectives
The Israel Gaza conflict has commanded attention in every corner of the globe and has created what media present as unprecedented polarisation. Leaders seeking a bigger role on the world stage have used this as an “ideological purity test” and an opportunity to promote their own vision of a multi-polar world.
Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
Producers: Kriszta Satori, Elchin Suleymanov
Presenter: Krassi Twigg
11/17/2023 • 39 minutes, 39 seconds
Israel and Gaza special
The war of narratives reflecting power tilts in the Middle East. Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October, which is said to have killed an estimated 1,300 people, triggered a war in Gaza that has so far claimed more than 10,000 lives. A “Ground Zero” moment for Israel, “a golden opportunity” for Jihadists, a window for those opposing normalisation with Israel. We explore the narratives, and the driving forces behind them, to understand how this war could change the region.
11/10/2023 • 40 minutes, 18 seconds
Who’ll be Argentina’s next president?
After a shock primary win, far-right libertarian economist Javier Milei is leading polls ahead of Argentina's presidential election. He's vowing to upend the status quo. With poverty rising, inflation into triple digits and recession looming, Argentinians are divided over who to trust to lead them out of the crisis. The intensifying virulence of the debate in the already polarised political landscape makes that choice even harder.
Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
Producer: Kriszta Satori
Presenter: Krassi Twigg
10/14/2023 • 28 minutes, 50 seconds
Wagner after Prigozhin
What next for the notorious Wagner group after the plane crash that wiped out its leadership? The Russian private military group that’s left boot prints in Europe, the Middle East and Africa is facing an uncertain future. We look at official movements and narratives - in Russia and abroad - to lift the deliberate veil of murkiness and find the clues.
Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
Producer: Kriszta Satori
Presenter: Krassi Twigg
9/29/2023 • 41 minutes, 33 seconds
Grain deal special
Russia and Turkey failed to reach an agreement to bring Ukrainian grain to countries that desperately need it, at a meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. What are the obstacles - and the implications for global food security?
Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
9/9/2023 • 29 minutes, 5 seconds
Niger coup special
Soldiers say they have taken control of the West African country. We unpick how events unfolded with BBC Monitoring’s Africa expert Beverly Ochieng. What can we learn from our media watch about what really happened and what could be the impications for the Sahel? This is a special episode of The Global Jigsaw. All of Season 1 is available to listen. Follow or subscribe so that you don’t miss future episodes.
7/28/2023 • 21 minutes, 15 seconds
The story of BBC Monitoring
The Global Jigsaw is brought to you by BBC Monitoring, a part of the BBC you may not have heard of. This team of journalists reports on media from 150 countries in up to 100 languages and provides information and analyses to BBC newsrooms and the UK government, as well as commercial clients including universities and thinktanks. It also has an intriguing and, at times, dramatic history dating back to the eve of World War Two. This bonus episode is all about us.
Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
7/25/2023 • 28 minutes, 14 seconds
Israel at a defining moment
Israel’s government is pressing ahead with an overhaul of the judicial system which would curtail the power of the Supreme Court, and give the government more. The proposals are seen by critics as an attack on democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and have been met by unprecedented popular protests. In this week’s Global Jigsaw, we look at the crisis in Israel through our media lens, for a glimpse of the ideas and forces dividing Israelis so deeply today.
Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
Producer: Lucy Bailey
Presenter: Krassi Twigg
Editor: Judy King
Original music: Pete Cunningham
Sound engineer: Nigel Dix
7/14/2023 • 37 minutes, 43 seconds
Wagner’s revolt: The world takes stock
Russia's once shadowy private military company Wagner hit the headlines around the world when the group’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ordered his men to march on Moscow. Although the insurrection was short lived, the impact is felt far and wide. In a special edition, The Global Jigsaw examines the Wagner mutiny from the perspective of countries who have a reason to pay close attention. Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
7/4/2023 • 34 minutes, 3 seconds
Putin’s media marathon
The gradual dismantling of independent media in Russia, from the colour and vibrancy under Boris Yeltsin in the 90s, to the extreme crackdown under Vladimir Putin a quarter of a century later. The Global Jigsaw tracks the key milestones in the process that turned the media into a “barren landscape”. And we look into a new propaganda push targeting the youngest.
Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
6/30/2023 • 44 minutes, 54 seconds
Bulgaria’s Russia conundrum
The fault line in Bulgarian politics helping Moscow’s interests in Europe. Kremlin narratives have been dividing politics in this arms-producing EU country. Some see it as Russia’s Trojan horse. The former Soviet ally is torn between old and new allegiances, resulting in polarised attitudes towards Ukraine. How is Russia driving its agenda in Bulgaria, and is it working?
Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
6/23/2023 • 31 minutes, 40 seconds
Russia’s propaganda firehose
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine intensified the Kremlin’s propaganda push. While independent media was defanged, TV talk shows multiplied to beam the state-sanctioned version of reality into living rooms. Alternative viewpoints are hard to find. Many Russians call their TV set the zombiebox - has it won the battle of narratives?
6/16/2023 • 42 minutes, 52 seconds
Ukraine’s media at war
Journalism under military censorship and state PR. The Russian invasion has dramatically transformed Ukraine’s media landscape. Speaking truth to power has become more of a challenge in an environment that has lost much of its vibrancy and pluralism. Some of the changes have been written into law. What happens when peace returns?
Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
6/10/2023 • 36 minutes, 42 seconds
TikTokking for God (and power)
Latin American evangelical preachers have been taking their conservative politics to TikTok. The mix can be dynamite. Left-wing parties have dominated in recent elections, but the phenomenon is growing, in an exceptionally lax social media environment. What does this tell us about religion and politics - and the media - in the region today?
Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
6/2/2023 • 29 minutes, 49 seconds
Russian flag operations in Mali
The African influencers amplifying Kremlin propaganda and disinformation. Russian influence operations have expanded from the CAR to Mali and other countries in the Sahel region. What drives local people to take to the streets with Russian flags, and what’s Moscow’s endgame in Africa?
Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
5/27/2023 • 31 minutes, 32 seconds
CAR’s Wagner trouble
Russia looking for new friends in Africa spells new trouble for a turbulent region. The Central African Republic has in recent years become one of Moscow’s main hubs of influence operations on the continent. What drew the Kremlin-linked mercenary group Wagner to this resource rich country that was never part of the Soviet sphere of influence?
Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
5/20/2023 • 26 minutes, 29 seconds
Masculinity with Chinese characteristics
The Communist Party weighs in on sexual politics, making noises about what it means to be a man. It says it needs to push back against foreign influences including K-pop and what it calls “sissy culture”. Where does that leave Chinese women - and feminism? And is there a connection with so-called Wolf Warrior diplomacy?
Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
Producers: Lucy Bailey, Kriszta Satori
Presenter: Krassi Twigg
Editor: Judy King
Main contributors: Tom Lam, Kerry Allen
Original music: Pete Cunningham
Sound engineer: John Boland
5/12/2023 • 26 minutes, 38 seconds
Talking politics on Turkey’s streets
The heated vox pop debates going viral in Turkey. As the cost of living crisis bites, heated arguments play out in cities and online. The street-corner videos, watched by millions, debate everything from the price of cucumbers to sky-high rents. And they have become a powerful alternative to state-controlled media.
5/5/2023 • 26 minutes, 38 seconds
A jihadi on a charm offensive
The Syrian militant leader wanted by the West, but who wants to be its friend. With a bounty on his head, Abu Mohammed al Jawlani spins his propaganda machine in the rebel stronghold of Idlib, wearing western suits and taking selfies with the locals. What’s behind his transformation?
Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.uk
4/28/2023 • 28 minutes, 30 seconds
Welcome to... The Global Jigsaw
What’s the story you are being told and why? We live in times of information wars, weaponised narratives, captured media, information spaces turned into halls of mirrors. How can we understand the world better and the agendas driving those narratives? We track and analyse media in up to 100 languages to show you the world through the eyes of its media - where powerful interests battle to influence your views. Think of us as your media detectives, lifting the language barrier so you get the bigger picture.