Podcast appearances and mentions of francis scarr

As the Trump administration takes control of the 100 year-old media pool system, Eugene Daniels, President of the White House Correspondents' Association shares concerns about government transparency and who now gets access to the President. Max Tani, Media Editor at Semafor explains the Washington Post's controversial new opinions policy and former Managing Editor Cameron Barr tells us why he resigned in protest. A new documentary, Kursk: 10 Days That Shaped Putin, sheds light on the early days of the Russian leader's presidency. Its Director Becky Read tells us how she made it alongside BBC Monitoring's Francis Scarr who explains how the 2000 submarine disaster shaped Putin's media strategy. We hear a profile of Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos from Greg Williams, Deputy Global Editorial Director at WIRED. Also in the show, Oscar-winning director Molly O'Brien discusses her film The Only Girl in the Orchestra and the media demands of winning an Academy Award.Eugene Daniels, Chief Playbook and White House Correspondent, POLITICO and WHCA President; Cameron Barr, former Senior Managing Editor, Washington Post; Max Tani, Media Editor, Semafor; Becky Read, Director, Kursk: 10 Days That Shaped Putin; Francis Scarr, Russia Specialist, BBC Monitoring; Greg Williams, Deputy Global Editorial Director, WIRED; Molly O'Brien, Director, The Only Girl in the Orchestra Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

After the Trump administration shakes up the press pool system, Eugene Daniels, President of the White House Correspondents' Association shares concerns about who now gets access to the President. Max Tani, Media Editor at Semafor explains the Washington Post's controversial new opinions policy and former Managing Editor Cameron Barr tells us they've led to him resigning from the paper. A new documentary, Kursk: 10 Days That Shaped Putin, sheds light on the early days of the Russian leader's presidency. Its Director Becky Read tells us how she made it alongside BBC Monitoring's Francis Scarr who tells us how the 2000 submarine disaster shaped Putin's media strategy. We get a profile of Amazon Founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos from Greg Williams, Deputy Global Editorial Director at WIRED and Oscar-winning director Molly O'Brien discusses her film The Only Girl in the Orchestra and the media demands of winning an Academy Award.Eugene Daniels, Chief Playbook and White House Correspondent, POLITICO and WHCA President; Cameron Barr, former Senior Managing Editor, Washington Post; Max Tani, Media Editor, Semafor; Becky Read, Director, Kursk: 10 Days That Shaped Putin; Francis Scarr, Russia Specialist, BBC Monitoring; Greg Williams, Deputy Global Editorial Director, WIRED; Molly O'Brien, Director, The Only Girl in the OrchestraPresenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

Andy Cohen is the executive producer behind the Real Housewives TV franchise. He tells Katie how it became a global phenomenon. Also in the programme, after Yulia Navalnaya's BBC interview, an assessment of Putin's crackdown on the media which her husband Alexei Navalny used to promote his message. Francis Scarr of BBC Monitoring explains. Presenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

George Osborne, presenter of Political Currency, on covering his first Labour budget as a journalist. After it was pulled from the programme of the London Film Festival at the weekend, Katie talks to the makers of the undercover film exposing UK far-right activists some consider too dangerous to show. After Katie's recent interview with Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, we look at how he used the media to promote his message and whether that's still possible in Russia right now. And we meet the executive producer behind the Real Housewives franchise, Andy Cohen.Guests: George Osborne, Co-host, Political Currency podcast; Claer Barrett, Consumer Editor, The FT; Havana Marking, documentary maker; Nick Lowles, CEO Hope Not Hate; Andy Cohen, Host and Executive Producer, Real Housewives franchise; Francis Scarr, Russia specialist, BBC Monitoring; Daniel De Simone, Investigations Correspondent, BBC News Presenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

From Squid Game to The Masked Singer, some of the most popular TV formats of recent years have come from South Korea. InSoon Kim, a Korean TV producer, and journalists Lucas Shaw and Regina Kim, discuss why. Also on the show, Catherine Philp, World Affairs Editor at The Times, explains how she went inside the Kursk region of Russia with Ukrainian forces. Francis Scarr from BBC Monitoring, tells us how the offensive is being reported on Russian state media. Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

Russian state media is notoriously corrupt and rife with propaganda. So how are Russian citizens being fed information about the Russia-Ukraine war? Does any truth exist within Russian television – or is it all one big narrative crafted by Putin? To find out, Chris Jones talks to BBC Monitoring journalist Francis Scarr. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Chris Jones. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Could this offensive sway the dynamics of the war in Kyiv's favour? Thousands of Russians have been evacuated from border regions as Ukrainian forces continue to gain ground. Meanwhile Vladimir Putin has called the offensive a “major provocation” and vowed to “kick the enemy out”.In this episode, Sumi Somaskanda is joined by Vitaly Shevchenko, Russia Editor for BBC Monitoring and co-host of Ukrainecast, and Francis Scarr, a Russia expert from BBC Monitoring.The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.Producers: Alice Aylett Roberts, Beth Timmins and Peter Goffin. Sound Engineers: Jonny Hall and Ben Andrews. Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.Senior Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.

An information iron curtain has fallen across large parts of the globe, where access to impartial news reporting and information has never been more difficult. With the help of BBC specialists, Ros and Katie consider the impact of censorship and technological controls on Russia, Iran and China; how ingrained state disinformation has become and how it has distorted their citizens' perception of the world. Our panel also look at attempts to circumvent internet blocking and state restrictions on free media, from the use of VPNs by those on the inside, to the innovative tactics adopted by outsiders who are trying to deliver truthful news to an often indoctrinated audience. Guests: Kerry Allen, China media analyst, BBC; Francis Scarr, journalist, BBC Monitoring; Kia Atri, journalist, BBC Middle East; Suzanne Raine, Centre for Geopolitics, University of Cambridge; Joe Tidy, cyber correspondent, BBC News; Fabian Falch, tech entrepreneur; Evie Aspinall, Director, British Foreign Policy Group, Jonathan Munro Deputy CEO & Director of Journalism, BBC News; Famil Ismailov, News Editor, BBC Russian Service.Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson

Russia's elections have kicked off and bizarre scenes have already begun to unfold at polling stations across the country - including live pop performances, free pancakes, a bride and groom and a life-sized cardboard cut-out of Tucker Carlson.President Putin is considered very likely to win, despite having already served four terms - the ex-KGB spy, 71, is already Russia's longest-serving leader since Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.Valerie Hopkins, international correspondent for The New York Times and Francis Scarr, who monitors Russia for the BBC, answer all of your questions on this, the most unusual of elections.Today's episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. It was made by Keiligh Baker. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Ivana Davidovic. The technical producer was Matt Hewitt. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast's Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord.

More than 100 million Russians are expected to vote for the next president over the coming days. Officially, there are four candidates on the ballot, but if you were watching Russian TV, you're likely only going to hear one name...Vladimir Putin. We're taking a moment to tune in to the election coverage inside Russia and ask what you might believe if you were following the election through a screen in Moscow, Omsk or Rostov-on-Don.Mark Lowen speaks to Francis Scarr who keeps a close eye on Russian media channels for BBC Monitoring, and Oleg Boldyrev, who is covering the election for the BBC from Riga, Latvia. The Global Story brings trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email theglobalstory@bbc.com, or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.This episode was made by Richard Moran, Laurie Kalus and Emilia Jansson. The technical producer was Matt Hewitt. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

There were unprecedented scenes at Alexei Navalny's funeral in Moscow on Friday, as thousands turned out to pay their respects to the dead opposition leader.But will there be consequences? And can people meaningfully protest in modern-day Russia? We hear from one woman who's previously been arrested for protesting against the war and why she won't stop. And Dan Storyev from the monitoring group OVD-info English discusses the challenges facing what's left of democracy in Russia.Today's episode is presented by Lyse Doucet and Vitaly Shevchenko. Francis Scarr provided translation. The producers were Ivana Davidovic, Cordelia Hemming and Keiligh Baker. The technical producers were Sam Dickinson and Rohan Madison. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast's Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

Francis Scarr, Russia analysist with BBC Monitoring, discusses the coverage on Russian state media of the death of the country's opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Russia's most significant opposition leader for the past decade, Alexei Navalny, has died in an Arctic Circle jail, the prison service has said. What does that mean for the future of Russia, its opposition movement and its leader, Vladimir Putin? In this special episode of The Global Story, Gabriel Gatehouse speaks to the BBC's Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet, Olga Ivshina from the BBC's Russian Service, and Francis Scarr, who covers Russian media for BBC Monitoring. The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC experts around the world. We're keen to hear from you, wherever you are in the world. #TheGlobalStory We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell The Global Story. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note on WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.Today's podcast was made by Peter Goffin and Miriam Quayyum. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

It's been confirmed that Vladimir Putin was interviewed by right wing US TV host Tucker Carlson yesterday. Francis Scarr, the Russia analyst for BBC Monitoring who has been tracking Carlson's Moscow movements for days.

Several cities in Ukraine were hit this morning in the latest wave of Russian missile attacks, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens more. The assaults come after a series of blasts at the weekend in Russian-held Donetsk and St Petersburg. The BBC's Ukraine correspondent, James Waterhouse, and BBC Monitoring's Russia reporter, Francis Scarr, explain the significance of attacks on Russian soil, plus the importance of Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's address to the United Nations.Victoria and Vitaly also speak to the coach of a Ukrainian football team for amputee veterans injured during the war.Today's episode is hosted by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. It was made by Keiligh Baker. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Cordelia Hemming and Ivana Davidovic. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The series producer is Lucy Boast. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast's Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

Geolocation, misinformation, verification… we answer your questions on how the BBC monitors and reports on the most important events of the war in Ukraine.Olga Robinson, an editor at BBC Monitoring and Verify specialising in Russian disinformation, and Francis Scarr, a journalist at BBC Monitoring, join Vitaly in the Ukrainecast studio and reveal all.Today's episode is presented by Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Clare Williamson, Arsenii Sokolov, Ivana Davidovic and Keiligh Baker. The technical producer was Jack Graysmark. The series producer is Lucy Boast. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

On this week's big interview, Patrick speaks to Francis Scarr from the BBC's monitoring service, Francis is a member of its Russia team who analyse Russian TV and social media, and specialises in the TV political talk shows, which dominate the schedules. Francis shares his fascinating array of knowledge about the Russian media landscape and draws from his own personal experiences from years spent living in Moscow. If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - battlegroundukraine@gmail.com Producer: James Hodgson Twitter: @PodBattleground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In days gone by, the organisers of a military coup would be after the radio towers and the TV stations. But when Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group, rebelled against the Russian government last week, it was the messaging app Telegram that he turned to for publicity. Who controls the media ecosystem in Russia and how is Putin now spinning his own narrative on the coup that wasn't? Also in the programme, as a new Radio 4 podcast investigates the origins of Covid, what did journalists get right and wrong during the early days of the pandemic? Guests: John Sudworth, BBC North America Correspondent and presenter of Fever, Natasha Loder, Health Editor of The Economist, Clare Wilson, Medical Reporter at The New Scientist, and Francis Scarr, Journalist with BBC Monitoring Presenter: Ros Atkins

Kate Adie presents stories from South Africa, Russia, Japan, New York, and Ukraine. Unprecedented power cuts has seen South Africa's national power company become the butt of jokes, but the continual outages are hitting the country's already struggling economy. Ed Habershon reveals how people adapt when the traffic lights stop working. Vladimir Putin's sabre-rattling has become a permanent feature on Russian state-run media, since the invasion of Ukraine began. But a more subtle device the Russian President has employed, is to appeal to Russia's sense of victim-hood. Francis Scarr reveals the impact this daily narrative has had on his old friends in Russia. Japan struggles with diversity and female representation in both its commercial and political spheres. Shaimaa Khalil met Tokyo's first female district mayor, who is breaking through the barriers of tradition, to ensure women are seen and heard. Puppy ownership saw a surge during the pandemic, as people discovered the joys of a four-legged companion during lockdown. In New York, the dog of choice for many was a doodle – a poodle hybrid. But there is now a growing backlash against the now ubiquitous doodle, as Laura Trevelyan reports from the dog parks of Brooklyn. Transcarpathia, on the far western edge of Ukraine, is a mosaic of nationalities, languages and religious identities which once made up the Austro-Hungarian empire. But the strains of emigration, war, and displaced populations from elsewhere in the country, are erasing cultural differences, and creating a more uniform Ukraine, reports Nick Thorpe. Producers: Serena Tarling & Emma Close Researcher: Beth Ashmead Production coordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

The war in Ukraine has encouraged Western intelligence agencies to share their secrets with the world. The BBC's security correspondent Gordon Corera explains what a difference a year makes and tells Victoria and Vitaly about a German man who's been arrested, suspected of spying for Russia. Francis Scarr from BBC Monitoring brings us Russian media reaction to the news that the West is sending tanks to Ukraine. And our tennis correspondent Russell Fuller is in Melbourne where Novak Djokovic's dad has been criticised after he was pictured with a pro-Putin fan. Today's episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Við byrjum þáttinn á því að skoða rússneska fjölmiðla og hvernig þarlendir miðlar hafa fjallað um innrás Rússa í Úkraínu. BBC, Breska ríkisútvarpið rekur sérstaka deild sem fylgist með fjölmiðlum í ýmsum löndum, þar á meðal í Rússlandi - Heimskviður ræddu á dögunum við einn af sérfræðingum þessarar deildar, Francis Scarr. Hann bjó í Rússlandi og horfir á hverjum degi á sjónvarpsfréttir þar og greinir umræðuna - hann segir okkur meðal annars frá því hvernig fréttastjórar stóru sjónvarpsstöðvanna taka við leiðbeiningum frá Kreml um hvernig á að segja fréttir. Björn Malmquist fjallar um málið. Stjórnvöld í Suður Súdan nota svelti og hungur sem vopn í átökum við uppreisnarhópa í landinu, samkvæmt nýrri skýrslu. Þessi skýrsla fer í bunkann með annarri samantekt Sameinuðu þjóðanna þar sem skorað er á stjórnvöld í Suður Súdan að bregðast við úbreiddu kynferðisofbeldi í innalandshernaði sem einkennt hefur stutta sögu landsins. Saga þessa yngsta sjálfstæða ríkis heims er að mörgu leyti harmsaga átaka og ofbeldis, sem bitnar mest á almennum borgurum. Íslenskur barnalæknir er nú stödd í Suður Súdan á vegum Lækna án landamæra og segir að okkur hætti til að gleyma svæðum þar sem átök hafi staðið yfir í langan tíma. Birta fer með okkur til Suður Súdan. Umsjónarmenn þáttarins eru Birta Björnsdóttir, Bjarni Pétur Jónsson og Sunna Valgerðardóttir.

Við byrjum þáttinn á því að skoða rússneska fjölmiðla og hvernig þarlendir miðlar hafa fjallað um innrás Rússa í Úkraínu. BBC, Breska ríkisútvarpið rekur sérstaka deild sem fylgist með fjölmiðlum í ýmsum löndum, þar á meðal í Rússlandi - Heimskviður ræddu á dögunum við einn af sérfræðingum þessarar deildar, Francis Scarr. Hann bjó í Rússlandi og horfir á hverjum degi á sjónvarpsfréttir þar og greinir umræðuna - hann segir okkur meðal annars frá því hvernig fréttastjórar stóru sjónvarpsstöðvanna taka við leiðbeiningum frá Kreml um hvernig á að segja fréttir. Björn Malmquist fjallar um málið. Stjórnvöld í Suður Súdan nota svelti og hungur sem vopn í átökum við uppreisnarhópa í landinu, samkvæmt nýrri skýrslu. Þessi skýrsla fer í bunkann með annarri samantekt Sameinuðu þjóðanna þar sem skorað er á stjórnvöld í Suður Súdan að bregðast við úbreiddu kynferðisofbeldi í innalandshernaði sem einkennt hefur stutta sögu landsins. Saga þessa yngsta sjálfstæða ríkis heims er að mörgu leyti harmsaga átaka og ofbeldis, sem bitnar mest á almennum borgurum. Íslenskur barnalæknir er nú stödd í Suður Súdan á vegum Lækna án landamæra og segir að okkur hætti til að gleyma svæðum þar sem átök hafi staðið yfir í langan tíma. Birta fer með okkur til Suður Súdan. Umsjónarmenn þáttarins eru Birta Björnsdóttir, Bjarni Pétur Jónsson og Sunna Valgerðardóttir.

Við byrjum þáttinn á því að skoða rússneska fjölmiðla og hvernig þarlendir miðlar hafa fjallað um innrás Rússa í Úkraínu. BBC, Breska ríkisútvarpið rekur sérstaka deild sem fylgist með fjölmiðlum í ýmsum löndum, þar á meðal í Rússlandi - Heimskviður ræddu á dögunum við einn af sérfræðingum þessarar deildar, Francis Scarr. Hann bjó í Rússlandi og horfir á hverjum degi á sjónvarpsfréttir þar og greinir umræðuna - hann segir okkur meðal annars frá því hvernig fréttastjórar stóru sjónvarpsstöðvanna taka við leiðbeiningum frá Kreml um hvernig á að segja fréttir. Björn Malmquist fjallar um málið. Stjórnvöld í Suður Súdan nota svelti og hungur sem vopn í átökum við uppreisnarhópa í landinu, samkvæmt nýrri skýrslu. Þessi skýrsla fer í bunkann með annarri samantekt Sameinuðu þjóðanna þar sem skorað er á stjórnvöld í Suður Súdan að bregðast við úbreiddu kynferðisofbeldi í innalandshernaði sem einkennt hefur stutta sögu landsins. Saga þessa yngsta sjálfstæða ríkis heims er að mörgu leyti harmsaga átaka og ofbeldis, sem bitnar mest á almennum borgurum. Íslenskur barnalæknir er nú stödd í Suður Súdan á vegum Lækna án landamæra og segir að okkur hætti til að gleyma svæðum þar sem átök hafi staðið yfir í langan tíma. Birta fer með okkur til Suður Súdan. Umsjónarmenn þáttarins eru Birta Björnsdóttir, Bjarni Pétur Jónsson og Sunna Valgerðardóttir.

Við byrjum þáttinn á því að skoða rússneska fjölmiðla og hvernig þarlendir miðlar hafa fjallað um innrás Rússa í Úkraínu. BBC, Breska ríkisútvarpið rekur sérstaka deild sem fylgist með fjölmiðlum í ýmsum löndum, þar á meðal í Rússlandi - Heimskviður ræddu á dögunum við einn af sérfræðingum þessarar deildar, Francis Scarr. Hann bjó í Rússlandi og horfir á hverjum degi á sjónvarpsfréttir þar og greinir umræðuna - hann segir okkur meðal annars frá því hvernig fréttastjórar stóru sjónvarpsstöðvanna taka við leiðbeiningum frá Kreml um hvernig á að segja fréttir. Björn Malmquist fjallar um málið. Stjórnvöld í Suður Súdan nota svelti og hungur sem vopn í átökum við uppreisnarhópa í landinu, samkvæmt nýrri skýrslu. Þessi skýrsla fer í bunkann með annarri samantekt Sameinuðu þjóðanna þar sem skorað er á stjórnvöld í Suður Súdan að bregðast við úbreiddu kynferðisofbeldi í innalandshernaði sem einkennt hefur stutta sögu landsins. Saga þessa yngsta sjálfstæða ríkis heims er að mörgu leyti harmsaga átaka og ofbeldis, sem bitnar mest á almennum borgurum. Íslenskur barnalæknir er nú stödd í Suður Súdan á vegum Lækna án landamæra og segir að okkur hætti til að gleyma svæðum þar sem átök hafi staðið yfir í langan tíma. Birta fer með okkur til Suður Súdan. Umsjónarmenn þáttarins eru Birta Björnsdóttir, Bjarni Pétur Jónsson og Sunna Valgerðardóttir.

Chris, Irish Businessman in Moscow & Francis Scarr, who follows Russian Media, both State and Independent, for BBC Monitoring

The Queen's coffin has travelled in ceremonial procession to Westminster Hall today where she will lie in state for four days until her funeral on Monday. Thousands have lined the route and for millions in the UK and around the world, it is the media that allows them to follow this period of national mourning. We talk to guests from news broadcasters, commercial radio and local newspapers about their experience of covering this story. We'll talk about Ukraine too. In an extraordinary few days, Russian forces have been pushed back. We know that – but there are significant challenges establishing exactly what has happened. We'll try and understand what can be done to report these developments with confidence. Guests: Cristina Nicolotti Squires, Director of content, Sky News, Frank O'Donnell, Editor-in-Chief, The Press and Journal, Phil Riley, Founder of Boom Radio, James Waterhouse, Ukraine Correspondent, BBC News, and Francis Scarr, BBC Monitoring Presenter: Ros Atkins Producer: Helen Fitzhenry

Lesia Vasylenko, Ukrainian MP & Francis Scarr, who follows the Russian Media for BBC Monitoring

How far is the Kremlin grappling with the problem of power and relevance: it has made promises, it issues decree, but is it really able to achieve any more at home than in the stalemate in Ukraine? Does Putin's recent decree on expanding the military mean more than just more Potemkin politics? And as a result, are more and more elements of Russian society seeing the regime as incapable, creating a dangerous potential threat?In the second half, Liz Truss, the UK's likely next prime minister, has vowed that 'Britain will expose Putin's lies to the world' - I suggest some ways in which London can sharpen and expand its narrative warfare game.Truss's article in the Telegraph is here; my piece in the Sunday Times is here (there may be paywalls for both), and Francis Scarr of BBC Monitoring's twitter handle is @Francis_Scarr.You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials right here. Support the show

Six months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Putin has rallied the Russian population around the brutal conflict. On this week's On the Media, hear how the Kremlin's crackdown on the press paved the way for war. Plus, a look inside the world of Russian propaganda, and how it influences people. 1. OTM Producer Molly Schwartz [@mollyfication] speaks with Alec Luhn [@ASLuhn] and Veronika Silchenko [@NikaSilchenko], freelance journalists for Vice, on reporting in Russia under repressive new laws. And Kirill Martynov [@kmartynov], Editor-in-Chief of Novaya Gazeta Europe, and Katerina Kotrikadze [@katyakotrikadze], news director and anchor at TV Rain, and Roman Dobrokhotov [@Dobrokhotov], Editor-in-Chief of The Insider, on working as Russian journalists-in-exile. Listen. 2. Thomas Rid [@RidT], author of the book Active Measures, on the the long ancestry of modern-day Russian info ops, and Francis Scarr [@francis_scarr], senior digital journalist at BBC Monitoring, on the false narratives that Russian state TV broadcasts about the war in Ukraine. Listen.  3. Anastasiia Carrier [@carrierana22], freelance journalist, on growing up with Russian propaganda and unlearning the Kremlin's lies. Listen. Music: String Quartet No. 3 by Henryk GoreckiExurgency by Zoe KeatingWe Insist by Zoe KeatingThe Artifact & Living by Michael AndrewsI Got a Right to Sing the Blues by Billy Kyle Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by Pyotr TchaikovskyThe Hammer of Los - John ZornKhovanshchina Overture (remix) Blackbird by Brad Mehldau  

Six months after Russia invaded Ukraine, what has the media taught us about the war and what has the war taught us about journalism? How has the narrative changed? What role has social media played? Deborah Haynes is defence and security editor for Sky News. Nic Robertson is CNN's international diplomatic editor. Oz Katerji is a freelance journalist who spent several months in Ukraine reporting on the conflict. Olga Tokariuk is a Ukrainian freelance journalist who has been reporting on the war since it began. Francis Scarr, BBC Senior Digital Journalist monitoring Russian media. Presenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Tim Bano

Francis Scarr from BBC Monitoring; Martin Conway, Fine Gael Senator; Paul Murphy, People Before Profit TD; Philip Ryan, Political Editor of Irish Independent & Malcolm Byrne, Fianna Fáil Senator

Francis Scarr from BBC Monitoring

Justin asks Francis Scarr, who works for BBC Monitoring, what is being shown on Russians state media?

What are the limits of free media? The Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries is calling on regulator Ofcom to consider action against Russian "propaganda" in the UK, shining a spotlight on TV channel RT. Elsewhere in the UK, the Supreme Court has stopped Bloomberg from publishing an investigation, on privacy grounds. Some have condemned this as threat to journalists' ability to investigate. So when should a state or the law intervene in press freedom? Guests: Erika Solomon, Berlin Correspondent at the Financial Times; David Merritt, Senior Executive Editor at Bloomberg News; Hugh Tomlinson QC; Francis Scarr, BBC Monitoring journalist in Moscow; Chris Curtis, Editor-in-Chief at Broadcast Magazine. Studio engineer: Tim Heffer Producer: Hannah Sander Presenter: Ros Atkins

Open-source investigators forensically analyse digital evidence - social media posts, eyewitness videos, satellite imagery - to find the truth behind news events. Their techniques are now increasingly used by investigative journalists to achieve big impact. An investigation by The New York Times into civilian deaths from air and drone strikes has resulted in a policy change by the US military. Also in the programme - in the west it's headlined as "the Ukraine crisis", but how is the situation being reported in Russian and Ukrainian media? Guests: Alexa Koenig, Executive Director, Human Rights Center, Haley Willis, Visual Investigations Reporter, The New York Times, Benjamin Strick, Investigations Director, Centre for Information Resilience, Alison Killing, Winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting, and Francis Scarr, Senior Digital Journalist, BBC Monitoring in Moscow. Presenter: Katie Razzall Studio engineer: Tim Heffer Assistant producer: Emily Finch Editor: Richard Hooper

Russia's tense stand-off with Ukraine might seem like a straightforward case of one country menacing another, with about a hundred and twenty thousand Russian troops mustering on their neighbour's border. Russia has already occupied the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, and is widely believed to be helping separatists in the country's east. But, as an old saying has it, where you stand depends on where you sit; perspectives can vary widely. Francis Scarr was recently sitting in the rather intimate surrounds of a Russian bathhouse, and found his companions holding a very different view of who was threatening whom. The foreign troops have left, and the fighting is much diminished. Afghanistan is at relative peace, and this has given the opportunity for many refugees to return to their homes. More than two million people have fled Afghanistan over the years, but the many conflicts there have forced more than three million to leave their cities, towns and villages, while remaining within the country. Some of these have now gone back, in the hope of picking up from where they left of, but often to find all that they once owned has been taken away or is lying in ruins. Andrew North went to meet some in the southern Afghan region of Helmand. Turkey seems determined to have influence abroad to a degree - some say - not seen since the days of the Ottoman Empire. The country has already intervened militarily in both Syria and Libya and built semi-permanent military bases in Northern Iraq. Whatever one thinks of Turkey's ambitions though, the country is not usually seen as a seafaring power, yet it seems that some in the country want that to change. They explained why to Tim Whewell, during a recent trip to Istanbul. A writer who visited Scandinavia once said that theirs were the only languages where it was the vowels that were the greatest challenge. While many struggle with a French “je” or the “ch” of Germany's “Bach,” it's the a, o and u of Swedish, for example, which can be tough for foreigners to master. And then there's the intonation: much fun is made of Swede's almost sing-song way of talking. Yet, there is only so much mockery of their language that people will take, particularly when it comes to the pronunciation of their own names. The many different ways in which Mathilde Weilin's name has been pronouced have given her something of an existential crisis. The Turkana region in northern Kenya is a remote and barren place, where some of the oldest pre-human fossils have been found, remains of Homo sapiens' long-distant ancestors. However, life for the present-day people of Turkana is not easy: the land they live off has been hit by environmental damage, with drought more common than ever – the result of climate change, many believe. When Samuel Derbyshire went to study their way of life, he found the legacy of many previous efforts to help Turkana's people, and to show them more reliable means of subsistence. And yet he ended up wondering who it was that should be teaching, and who learning.

The French political scene has a new kid on the block, or one might say, a new veteran. Eric Zemmour is his name, not one familiar in the UK, but Zemmour has long been well known in his own country as a right-wing television presenter. His controversial pronouncements on race, religion and immigration have in the past got him into legal trouble, but now he appears to be flirting with the idea of standing to be president. Until now, the French far-right scene has been dominated by one political party – indeed you might say, by one family. The Front National was founded nearly fifty years ago by Jean-Marie Le Pen. His daughter Marine then took over its leadership, though she changed the party's name to “National Rally.” Ms Le Pen had been seen as a serious challenger for the French presidency, in elections to be held next year. Yet some think she's now being eclipsed by Mr Zemmour. Lucy Williamson went to see him in action: It looks like Joseph Biden will not be allowed to forget the way US troops departed from Afghanistan, leaving the country to fall quickly into Taliban hands again. Rightly or wrongly, it's likely to be a millstone round the president's neck, should Mr Biden seek re-election in three years' time. That is a very different state of affairs to the way Afghanistan is talked about in Russia these days, or rather not talked about. Military parades there tend to focus on the Soviet Union's victory in World War Two, while some politicians like to boast about more a more recent conflict, Russia's invasion and occupation of Crimea in 2014. Far less is said about how Soviet tanks rolled into Afghanistan in 1979, only for troops to pull out a decade later, defeated and demoralised. And this silence has proved hard for those Russians who served in Afghanistan, or who lost friends and family there. Now, a new exhibition is allowing veterans of the conflict to express through art the trauma they suffered. Francis Scarr went along to see it: As a health correspondent for the BBC, Tulip Mazumdar has reported on medical problems around the world, and one she has seen plenty of is women suffering miscarriages. It is a loss whose seriousness is often not recognised, with many women suffering a form of grief every bit as serious as when a living person dies. And it's a common problem too; in the UK, it has been estimated that a quarter of pregnancies are lost. However, knowing all this, and having reported on it for many years, could not have prepared Tulip for the many miscarriages she herself went on to suffer, and which she frankly admits, she is still struggling to come to terms with. People do sometimes hold funerals for babies who are miscarried or still-born. But whether for a child or an adult, funerals serve many purposes: they allow people to express publicly their grief, in the company of friends and families who are there to support them. They may be an opportunity to look back on the life of the person who died, and to recall what they meant to those who knew them. What you do not expect is for funerals to provide the chance for a quick buck to be made, and yet that's exactly what happens in parts of eastern Nigeria. And it's not just funerals, weddings too may be targeted by extortionists, unwilling to allow the proceedings to go ahead, unless they are paid off. It is something Olivia Ndubuisi has seen for herself: We all need a break now and then, and that might involve a holiday. But is that something you would grant to prisoners? That is exactly what happens in parts of Brazil, where occupants of the country's jails are given occasional home leave. You might think this sounds absurdly indulgent, the sign of a country that has gone soft on those who break the law. In fact, Brazil's prisons are notoriously harsh, with assault and murder common. The actual purpose of giving prisoners a break from their sentence is to encourage them not to end up back there, after they're released, as Andrew Downie discovered. For details of organisations which offer advice and support with pregnancy related issues, go online to bbc.co.uk/actionline.

The combined miseries of an economic crunch, a spike in Covid infections and simmering long-standing frustration drove hundreds of people to speak out in public last weekend. The Cuban government often brings out the crowds for mass demonstrations of revolutionary will – but it cracks down hard and fast on any shows of organised dissent. Will Grant has been sensing the pressure mount for months. The world was horrified by scenes from the pandemic in India – but there was less global attention paid to Bangladesh. Covid has utterly changed daily life and families' fortunes there, too – especially since the country imposed its strictest lockdown yet at the start of this month. New infections and deaths are now at record levels and still rising – and there's fear that people fleeing the restrictions in cities will be soon spread the virus in the countryside. Akbar Hossein has been considering the balance of risks. Clearing out a property after relatives have died can be a bittersweet experience, fusing nostalgia with grief. It's harder still when the house is in a different country. Lesley Curwen has back been to the villa in Valencia where her mother and stepfather used to live – and noticed that many of the old certainties of their comfortable ex-pat circle in Spain are eroding. This summer, Russia has been staging dozens of official events to mark 800 years since the birth of a national hero: the warrior prince and later saint Alexander Nevsky, renowned for his military success and tactical genius. There's a clear message being driven home as his relics journey across the country from church to church - as Francis Scarr saw in the city of Tver. We've all had to rethink what balance between isolation and social contact suits us best over the past year and a half. But perhaps not many people have reconfigured their professional and domestic set-up as Stephanie Theobald. She's been living in a cave - as part of an experimental commune in the California desert. Producer: Polly Hope