Sky News

This Is Why

News EN ↓ 1000 episodes

The world’s a pretty confusing place right now – so how do you make sense of it all? This Is Why  takes one story every day, explains how we got here and why it matters to you. Sky News’ Niall Paterson speaks to experts and correspondents from around the world, getting simple answers to some complex questions. Available every weekday afternoon. This Is Why is a Sky News podcast – if you have a question, contact us: why@sky.uk

Author

Sky News

Category

News

Podcast website

www.skynews.com

Latest episode

Jul 10, 2026

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Episodes

What happened in 2022? 24.12.2022

War in Ukraine, three Prime Ministers, the death of Queen Elizabeth II, on top of a cost-of-living crisis and the changing climate were among the most high-profile stories of the year. Niall Paterson takes a look back, with Sky News radio newsreader Faye De Silva, over 2022's headlines that made an impact. Producers: Ana Bates, Rosie Gillott, and Soila Apparicio Sound Designer: Tom Burchell Editor...

Sky News Daily Reviews 2022: Royal Correspondent Rhiannon Mills 23.12.2022

Host Niall Paterson looks at the stories which defined 2022. On this episode, Sky’s royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills recaps a defining year in history, which saw the end of the second Elizabethan era, the start of King Charles III's reign and everything Harry and Meghan. Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse Promotions Producer: David Chipakupaku Editor: Philly Beaumont

Sky News Daily Reviews 2022: Economics and Data Editor Ed Conway 22.12.2022

Host Niall Paterson looks at the stories which defined 2022. Sky’s economics and data editor Ed Conway unpicks a year shaped by the cost-of-living crisis and Liz Truss’ ill-fated mini budget. Producer: Rosie Gillott Promotions Producer: David Chipakupaku Editor: Philly Beaumont

Sky News Daily Reviews 2022: International Affairs Editor Dominic Waghorn 21.12.2022

Host Niall Paterson looks at the stories which defined 2022. He is joined by Sky’s international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn to discuss what Russia’s war with Ukraine has meant for both countries and the wider world. Plus, the impact of China's internal politics on the global stage, and the fight for freedom in Iran. Producer: Soila Apparicio Promotions Producer: David Chipakupaku Editor: Phill...

Sky News Daily Reviews 2022: Science and Technology Editor Tom Clarke 20.12.2022

Host Niall Paterson looks at the stories which defined 2022. Sky’s science and technology editor Tom Clarke examines how the energy crisis impacts the aim to reduce global warming. As well as how big tech companies have had to change through the year. Annie Joyce - senior podcast producer Philly Beaumont – editor

Sky News Daily Reviews 2022: Political Editor Beth Rigby 19.12.2022

Host Niall Paterson looks at the stories which defined 2022. On this episode, Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby talks about the year which gave us three Prime Ministers and the legacies of the two who left office. Producer: Rosie Gillott Promotions Producer: David Chipakupaku Editor: Philly Beaumont

Ukraine War Diaries: EP37 - From a city under siege, a very Ukrainian Christmas story 17.12.2022

Alone in his apartment in Kyiv, memories of Christmas past come flooding back to Ilyas. Can he find a way to escape the blitz-like conditions and be reunited with his wife and two sons in Poland? OUR DIARISTS Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of December 2022, I...

Idaho murders: 'A college town living in fear' 15.12.2022

More than a month after four US college students were murdered as they slept, no suspects have been named, no arrests made and the murder weapon is yet to be recovered. Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin all studied at the University of Idaho, and the small town of Moscow, Idaho, where they lived is desperate for answers. On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood is joined...

Ukraine war: What we’ve learned about modern warfare 15.12.2022

Drone strikes, like the one that damaged buildings in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Wednesday, have become commonplace in the war with Russia. While the conflict has seen violence, destruction and countless lives lost as wars do, it is a uniquely information-led war. From advances in technology to social media and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s communication tactics. On the Sky News Daily,...

World Cup: LGBT+ Qataris feel ‘removed’ from the conversation 14.12.2022

The World Cup in Qatar put the country’s record on human rights and laws on homosexuality into the international spotlight. Same sex-relations are banned under Islamic law. Qatari law calls for a prison sentence of one to three years for "inducing or seducing a male or a female in any way to commit illegal or immoral actions". On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood is joined by Dr Nasser Mohamed, w...

Strikes and the unions: How have they changed? 13.12.2022

Rail workers. Postal workers. Paramedics. Nurses. Baggage handlers. Teachers. The wave of strike action through December has drawn comparisons to the late 1970s "winter of discontent". Unions are making their demands amidst record-breaking inflation and a cost of living crisis. Critics say they’re excessive during a time of instability. With union membership much lower than the 1970s, technologica...

A year of the cost of living crisis 12.12.2022

Britain is witnessing the worst squeeze on incomes in a generation as struggling households are hit by a double whammy of soaring energy costs and rocketing inflation. The government has stepped in, spending billions to protect households from soaring bills. But is it enough? On the Sky News Daily, Sky’s people and politics correspondent, Nick Martin, meets some of the families on the front line o...

Ukraine War Diaries: EP36 - Snowy returns, surviving by smartphone & going south (Dec 5-9) 10.12.2022

Having left Kyiv on the day of a devastating Russian air attack in October, Oksana makes an emotional return. Ilyas, illustrates how he - and other Ukrainians - are using their smart phones to stay one step ahead of enemy bombing raids. And Seva marks a day of military celebration. OUR DIARISTS   Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started....

Harry and Meghan: Death threats, racism claims and the paparazzi 08.12.2022

There has been hype, home videos and many hours of footage filmed for the couple's much-anticipated Netflix documentary – but have viewers learned anything new in the 'bombshell' series so far? On the Sky News, Daily Niall Paterson speaks to our royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills about the reaction and possible ramifications after the first three episodes aired. Plus, LA-based entertainment journa...

Mouldy homes: Deaths ‘could happen again’ 08.12.2022

Two-year-old Awaab Ishak died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in the house his parents rented from a housing association. The housing ombudsman for England Richard Blakeway tells Niall Paterson on the Sky News Daily how he fears there could be more deaths if damp and mould in homes isn’t addressed urgently. Niall also hears from a mum with three young children, one now with respiratory i...

Strep A: The latest medical advice 07.12.2022

Antibiotics could be given to children at schools affected by Strep A to stop the spread of the bacteria, after a number of children died recent from the infection. The government has urged parents to be on the lookout for symptoms of what is also known as Group A streptococcus to prevent more deaths. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to Professor Jim McManus, president of the Associati...

Keir Starmer's 'blueprint' for government 06.12.2022

Labour has unveiled a plan for the biggest-ever transference of power to the British people with a report that also recommends the House of Lords is replaced with an elected chamber. It's part of what Sir Keir Starmer called radical plans and a fundamental remodelling of our broken political system. His plans include replacing the House of Lords, banning most MPs from having a second job, and movi...

Afghanistan: The forgotten LGBT+ community 05.12.2022

After the UK government’s promise to support vulnerable LGBT+ people in Afghanistan following the country’s fall to the Taliban in August 2021, those left behind say they’re struggling to get enough help. On the Sky News Daily with Niall Patterson, Nemat Sadat, the executive director of LGBT+ charity Roshaniya, asks for a clearer plan from ministers, and LGBT+ Afghans share their experiences of di...

Ukraine War Diaries: EP35 - The bloody dark, bathroom pits & the blitz of Kyiv (Nov 28 – 2Dec) 03.12.2022

Under siege in Kyiv, Ilyas endures his longest blackout. Military volunteer, Seva, sources chainsaws for comrades in the east and in her mind, Oksana visits the rooftop of her apartment block to offer a god-like view of a Ukrainian capital under siege.   OUR DIARISTS   Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two y...

Royal race row: Can they modernise? 02.12.2022

The Prince and Princess of Wales's first overseas trip since the Queen's death has been overshadowed by controversy at home. The prince’s godmother has resigned from her role in the royal household after she repeatedly asked Ngozi Fulani, a black domestic abuse campaigner, where she “really came from”. A spokesperson for Prince William, who is on a three-day visit to Boston, Massachusetts, said La...

New Alzheimer's drug: How much of a breakthrough is it? 30.11.2022

A drug used in clinical trials has been found to slow memory loss in patients with the condition - and although lecanemab is not a cure, it has got a lot of scientists and others very excited. On the Sky News Daily podcast, Niall Paterson speaks to Scott Mitchell, the widower of the late Dame Barbara Windsor, who died with the disease, about what the breakthrough means to his campaign to raise awa...

Ukraine's other battle: Keeping the power on 30.11.2022

Intense missile strikes from Russia have left Ukraine with country-wide power outages and blackouts. Satellite images show how dark the country has become compared to its neighbours. How will the darkness affect Ukraine as the war enters the winter months? On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by our security and defence editor Deborah Haynes as they explore the impact the continued Russ...

Fear and fury in China – what does President Xi do now? 29.11.2022

Protests have sprung up across some of China's biggest cities with demonstrators shouting "down with the CCP, down with Xi Jinping". The protests, originally sparked by frustration at continued COVID lockdown measures, are now being seen as a challenge to the Communist leadership in the country in general. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to Sky News' Asia correspondent Helen-Ann Smith...

The Dark Web: Exploring the 'murder-for-hire' sites 28.11.2022

The dark web is a hidden space on the internet where your activity can be anonymous and private. Among these dark websites, there’s a disturbing amount of apparent "murder-for-hire" sites offering hitman services. On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood explores the use of "murder-for-hire" websites with hacker and dark web vigilante Chris Monteiro, while one victim tells us how dangerous they are....

Ukraine War Diaries: EP34- Ghosts of Chernobyl, going south & grave phone calls (Nov 21-24) 26.11.2022

In the dark of Kyiv, Ilyas fears for the under-fire Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, knowing how the 1986 Chernobyl disaster continues to impact lives in Ukraine to this day.  With new orders, military volunteer Seva, prepares to go on assignment in southern Ukraine, but not before an unexpected meeting with two soldiers involved in the recent liberation of Kherson. And feeling helpless overseas,...

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