The world is complicated.
The news doesn’t have to be.
Start Here is the flagship online explainer series for Al Jazeera English, hosted by Sandra Gathmann and published on YouTube and Facebook.
The show helps people navigate the complicated world of international news by taking the big stories and breaking them down so they’re easy to understand — usually in around 10 minutes. Start Here’s strategy is simple but effective: High-quality journalism, engaging storytelling and creative production.
We’ve got it covered…
In the last year we’ve covered topics ranging from the protests in Iran to the perks and pitfalls of AI technology; and from the significance of the Al Aqsa Mosque in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to the threats to peace in Bosnia.
But there’s one story that’s dominated the news in the last year and it’s dominated our coverage too…
🇷🇺 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 🇺🇦
Start Here’s first episode in 2022 asked “Will Russia invade Ukraine” and over the course of last year we went on to publish ten more episodes linked to the war. We explained the important developments and the human impact; we broke down the implications for Russia and the world; and we profiled both Volodymr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin - and the Wagner Group. Our coverage has been a valuable resource for people who aren’t necessarily following the day-to-day twists and turns but who want to understand the key events and the bigger picture. You can find the full archive of our Ukraine and Russia coverage here.
No hype. No agenda.
No gimmicks.
In a world where the news media can be so polarised and people are unsure about who to trust, what Start Here is doing in the digital media space is more important than ever. Since the show launched in 2019 - it’s won a range of accolades, including a finalist spot at the Webbys, several gold awards at the Lovies, Tellys, Shortys, and the New York Festival for TV&Film. Start Here have also received honorable mentions at the Gracies, Drum Awards and AIBs.
“My priority with Start Here is to invite you to engage with a topic…to put you at ease, take you through it step-by-step and leave you with a solid foundation of basic facts. So you can then go off, read some more and decide what you think about any given story — Sandra Gathmann
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"Start Here has been an incredibly vital resource for me"
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"The show has helped thousands of people like me to really understand complex issues"
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"Clear, concise, and views from both sides"
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"It's the perfect way to keep myself informed"
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" I use Start Here videos in my lectures for Globalization and Current Affairs"
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"Thanks for the awesome reports on the (Ukraine) war. Very concise & easy to digest"
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"This series helps me feel less lost"
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• "Start Here has been an incredibly vital resource for me" • "The show has helped thousands of people like me to really understand complex issues" • "Clear, concise, and views from both sides" • "It's the perfect way to keep myself informed" • " I use Start Here videos in my lectures for Globalization and Current Affairs" • "Thanks for the awesome reports on the (Ukraine) war. Very concise & easy to digest" • "This series helps me feel less lost" •
Start Here — on the road 🎥
Start Here was conceived in late 2019 as a studio-based show, but in 2022 we also launched Start Here — on the road, where Sandra takes the show’s audience to new places, elevating our explainer format with on-the-ground reporting.
2022 in numbers
📌 28 YouTube explainers
📌 24 reels & TikTok videos
📌 33 million views
📌 40% — average viewer completion rate on YouTube
📌 41% of contributors were people of colour
📌 47% of contributors were women
Social Media
While Start Here’s main home is on YouTube and Facebook — we also make shorter explainers for Instagram and TikTok.
Here are some highlights ⬇️
The team behind it all
Sandra Gathmann is the host, lead writer and co-creator of Start Here. She’s an experienced journalist whose conversational tone and calm delivery draws viewers in, holds their attention and generates trust. But every episode of Start Here is a team effort — the product of a talented and dedicated group of journalists and creatives. Here’s the core team…
Julia Mills — executive producer
Sophia Ahmadi — producer
Adele-Momoko Fraser — producer
George Skortsis — video editor
Danylo Hawaleshka — script editor
Samer Sobhi Boqailah — graphics/motion design
Yousef Abdel Nabi — creative director
Our Impact
Start Here has an impact well beyond views and engagement on social media — it’s a resource that universities and schools around the world tap into. Students tell us our videos help them with their classes on global politics.
Teachers get in touch to say they use Start Here to engage their students and help them tackle difficult subjects. One school in Toronto raised almost $2,000 for a hunger charity after watching our episode on famine in Madagascar.