The Documentary Podcast

BBC World Service 5328 - The sound of soft power

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 Sierra Leone's cocaine trail, to victims' voices in Europe's wildfires, to the extremist "Jihadi cool" content spreading on social media...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.

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Episodes

16 Aug 2026

15 Aug 2026

14 Aug 2026

13 Aug 2026

12 Aug 2026

11 Aug 2026

09 Aug 2026

08 Aug 2026

07 Aug 2026

06 Aug 2026

05 Aug 2026

04 Aug 2026

03 Aug 2026

02 Aug 2026

01 Aug 2026

31 Jul 2026

30 Jul 2026

29 Jul 2026

28 Jul 2026

27 Jul 2026

26 Jul 2026

25 Jul 2026

24 Jul 2026

23 Jul 2026

22 Jul 2026

21 Jul 2026

20 Jul 2026

19 Jul 2026

18 Jul 2026

17 Jul 2026

16 Jul 2026

15 Jul 2026

14 Jul 2026

12 Jul 2026

11 Jul 2026

10 Jul 2026

09 Jul 2026

08 Jul 2026

07 Jul 2026

06 Jul 2026

05 Jul 2026

04 Jul 2026

The Documentary Podcast

Episodes

The sound of soft power

Ukraine and Russia’s recruitment war

Experiences of drought

The creator of France's 'Untouchables' houses

Tree of diplomacy

The world's largest wildlife crossing

Victoria Falls: An environment on the edge

Special forces on trial

Africa's first film city

Rapping behind bars in Cameroon

Ariana Grande and the public scrutiny of women

A singer’s search for peace

The teenagers who wired Romania

The engineers: Flying at the edge

Getting Gaza back online

Skatepark designers Nine Yards

What is so-called 'Jihadi cool'?

A Chinese dissident's journey

Wildfires in Europe

Rastafari and I

A battle that changed Ireland

Sierra Leone: The cocaine trail

The Kenyans taking on multinational chemical companies

James Turrell: Master Of Light

Driving across the divide

Saving Nigeria's vultures

The lifelong toll of surviving disaster

Searching for my samurai mother

The spirit of Tala: The rapid rise of Tonga's netball team

Bonus: Forgiving a killer - from Lives Less Ordinary

Italy’s child obesity time-bomb

Tom Bailey: Can a walk across the Arctic be art?

Love on trial: India's age of consent controversy

Belarus's university in exile

Older women and the challenge of IVF

Harry Haft's unspeakable fight

Follow the money: The beef with US beef

Moscow’s enemy number one

Euthanasia in Spain: Whose life is it anyway?

The Chinese fentanyl king

Jordanian director Zain Duraie

Fruit Wars!

Chasing the Wimbledon dream

Diving for Yuko

Secrets of the ant trade

Was ‘Made in China’ made in America?

China’s collapsing population

Karin Slaughter: thriller penned in mountain cabin

A history of the United States in 100 objects: 1: The Century Safe

Balochistan's disappeared