The Documentary Podcast
BBC World Service
Hear the voices at the heart of global stories. Where curious minds can uncover hidden truths and make sense of the world. The best of documentary storytelling from the BBC World Service. From China’s state-backed overseas spending, to on the road with Canada’s Sikh truckers, to the front line of the climate emergency, we go beyond the headlines. Each week we dive into the minds of the world’s most creative people, take personal journeys into spirituality and connect people from across the globe to share how news stories are shaping their lives.
Categories: Society & Culture
Listen to the last episode:
In the face of widespread protests, the Iranian government ‘switched off’ the country’s access to the internet on 8th January. In Uganda, prior to recent elections, the government of president Yoweri Museveni prevented its citizens from accessing the internet. Worldwide, Afghanistan, Myanmar, India and Bangladesh – to name only a few - have all taken the decision to severely restrict internet access at times of perceived political crisis or challenge. Yet it was only fifteen years ago, during the Arab Spring, that internet access and digital media were seen as game-changing communications tools for democratisation. Now, how vulnerable is protest and political opposition to being taken offline?
This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world.
Presented by Faranak Amidi.
Produced by Laura Thomas, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
Previous episodes
-
5091 - Protest in the age of the 'Kill Switch' Sat, 24 Jan 2026
-
5090 - Living in Greenland Sat, 24 Jan 2026
-
5089 - Daughters of thunder Fri, 23 Jan 2026
-
5088 - Bonus: Introducing: The History Bureau Wed, 21 Jan 2026
-
5087 - Greece: Rescuers on trial Tue, 20 Jan 2026
-
5086 - Black girlhood in photos and writing Mon, 19 Jan 2026
-
5085 - New elements Sun, 18 Jan 2026
-
5084 - Kenyans lured to Russia's frontline Sat, 17 Jan 2026
-
5083 - Surviving an avalanche Sat, 17 Jan 2026
-
5082 - Eternal horizons Fri, 16 Jan 2026
-
5081 - Stories from the New Silk Road: The Bering Sea Thu, 15 Jan 2026
-
5080 - Putin's foreign fighters Tue, 13 Jan 2026
-
5079 - The Netherlands: 10 new cities? Mon, 12 Jan 2026
-
5078 - Bianca Raffaella: A world of blurred vision Mon, 12 Jan 2026
-
5077 - Looking for No Man's Land Sun, 11 Jan 2026
-
5076 - Taraneh: Iran's defiant actress Sat, 10 Jan 2026
-
5075 - Life in Venezuela Sat, 10 Jan 2026
-
5074 - Living side by side: Morocco’s Jews and Muslims Fri, 09 Jan 2026
-
5073 - Returned to sender Thu, 08 Jan 2026
-
5072 - World Questions - Greenland Wed, 07 Jan 2026
-
5071 - Persian poetry and politics Wed, 07 Jan 2026
-
5070 - South Africa and the fight against TB Tue, 06 Jan 2026
-
5069 - Ismo Leikola Mon, 05 Jan 2026
-
5068 - The power of nostalgia and a first kiss Sun, 04 Jan 2026
-
5067 - Afghanistan's love poetry princess Sat, 03 Jan 2026
-
5066 - Astronauts and the future of space exploration Sat, 03 Jan 2026
-
5065 - Two families from Sarajevo Fri, 02 Jan 2026
-
5064 - Kibera Ballerinas Thu, 01 Jan 2026
-
5063 - Four Months in Gaza Wed, 31 Dec 2025
-
5062 - When Christian nationalists come to town Tue, 30 Dec 2025
-
5061 - Haroon Mirza: Creating a sculpture with light, sound and video Mon, 29 Dec 2025
-
5060 - BBC correspondents' look ahead to 2026 Sun, 28 Dec 2025
-
5059 - Not-so-golden weddings Sat, 27 Dec 2025
-
5058 - Why I chose to adopt Sat, 27 Dec 2025
-
5057 - The lord and dance: Michael Flatley Fri, 26 Dec 2025
-
5056 - The gift of science Thu, 25 Dec 2025
-
5055 - Bonus: 2025 in conversations from The Interview Wed, 24 Dec 2025
-
5054 - Argentina's elusive big cats Tue, 23 Dec 2025
-
5053 - Michael Symmons Roberts' Christmas card poem Mon, 22 Dec 2025
-
5052 - United in space: How we built the ISS Sun, 21 Dec 2025
-
5051 - Living in fear on South Africa's farms Sat, 20 Dec 2025
-
5050 - Jewish Australians on the Bondi Beach attacks Sat, 20 Dec 2025
-
5048 - Prayers through the checkpoints Fri, 19 Dec 2025
-
5047 - Elephant conservation in Botswana Thu, 18 Dec 2025
-
5046 - Introducing The Bomb: Kennedy and Khrushchev Wed, 17 Dec 2025
-
5045 - Stolen brides of Kazakhstan: The fightback Tue, 16 Dec 2025
-
5044 - Jim Henson's Creature Shop: Back to Fraggle Rock Mon, 15 Dec 2025
-
5043 - A makeover for Syria's interim leader? Sat, 13 Dec 2025
-
5042 - Somalis in America Sat, 13 Dec 2025
-
5041 - The divine gift of sex Fri, 12 Dec 2025