BBC World Service has announced the introduction of a daily news podcast designed for a younger audience titled What in the World. Starting July 31, the podcast will be available every weekday.
Hosted by Hannah Gelbart, What in the World will help listeners comprehend global news stories across a variety of topics. Questions such as “What can we learn from the extreme weather in India?” or “What is happening with migrants in Tunisia?” will form the basis of the episodes.
Around a quarter of the BBC World Service English audience falls in the 16 to 24 age group. As per the United Nations, this age group represents about 16% of the global population, roughly 1.2 billion people. In an era of misinformation, the podcast aims to provide this audience with factual content.
BBC journalists from 42 language services around the world will feature frequently in the podcast. The podcast’s episodes, ranging from 9 to 15 minutes in duration, will revolve around audience questions and shared content, exploring potential solutions to global issues.
Prior to presenting the podcast, Gelbart served as the BBC’s global disinformation reporter. She and Jon Zilkha, Controller of World Service English, expressed excitement over the project, emphasizing its aim to provide trusted news and information to young audiences worldwide.
Gelbart stated, “I’m excited to be working with a top team for this podcast, helping our listeners to understand, and feel a bit better, about the world around them. I am looking forward to chatting each day with our BBC reporters across the globe, giving you what you need to make sense of the information out there.”
Jon Zilkha said, “What in the World is tailored to young audiences and will provide a source of trusted news and information for these listeners globally. Using the expertise of our journalists around the world, we will examine the stories that matter most and focus on positive solutions, something we know young audiences are longing to hear.”
