Over to You

Words, sounds and music all help create the pictures we imagine when we listen to the radio. We explore how World Service reporters and programme makers bring stories and places to life for listeners.
We hear how they use description and the sounds around them to make us feel part of a story, and how sound can transport us from the streets of Kansas City to the remote landscape of the Antarctic. We explore how sound can be shaped when the real world alone is not enough, and the role music plays in adding another dimension to a story. Plus, listeners share their views on the use of audio across the World Service.

What makes someone an expert, and how do BBC producers decide who has the right expertise to appear on air? In this episode of Over To You, we hear listeners’ views on who they trust and why. We go behind the scenes with The Engineers and CrowdScience to find out how programmes choose their contributors, and explore the editorial principles behind using experts on the BBC. Plus, as more of us encounter experts through TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, we ask how social media is changing who we see as an authority. We also speak to BBC Verify about how it assesses expertise and decides who and what audiences can trust.

The BBC’s recent announcement of substantial cuts across the organisation will affect World Service listeners, as three programmes face closure. We put your questions to Jon Zilkha, controller of BBC World Service English, and explore what the changes mean for audiences.
We also go behind the scenes at the Wimbledon Championships to discover how the World Service’s flagship sports programme, Sportsworld, prepares for an action-packed month of live sport.
Not by the Playbook explores the inspiring stories of athletes who have overcome adversity and achieved success in unconventional ways. Presenter Qasa Alom speaks to its presenter, Katie Smith, about how the programme reveals the human stories behind sporting achievements.
Presenter: Qasa Alom
Producer: Simon Jarvis
A Whistledown production for BBC World Service

From extraordinary personal stories with Outlook's Jo Fidgen, to Hollywood directors with Nikki Bedi, the interviews and interviewing you hear on the World Service are hugely varied. But what goes into finding the interviewees and preparing for the interview? When you are in the room, face-to-face with someone, how do you get the best out of your interviewee? Qasa also speaks to Ivana Davidovich, the host of the new World of Secrets podcast Searching for Soldier Dad, to explore how the interview process works in an investigative podcast series.

In this episode of Over To You, we hear listener feedback about how they think the BBC World Service is reporting on the recent war in Iran. Plus, we find out how the World Service approaches reporting on global conflict in general, from protecting programme-makers and contributors in dangerous locations, to sharing sensitive content about war online.