18 June 2021
The Government of Jersey has launched its first series of podcasts, looking at the impact of dealing with a global pandemic on those who have been leading the Public Health response.
‘Voices of the Pandemic’ asks the people who develop policies and draft laws, who manage contact-tracing and enforcement, and who have been vaccinating thousands of Islanders each week, how they have been affected both professionally and personally by the critical work they have been doing since the start of last year.
Strategic Lead for Covid Safe, Caroline Maffia, says she won’t know what to do with herself when Covid no longer dominates her working life, and she explains what advice she would have given herself at the beginning of last year, if she’d known what she knows now: “I’d tell her to relax, that she can do it, that she’s better than she thinks she is.”
The Acting Director of Communications, Laura Perez, said: “There are so many different ways to connect with Islanders and I’m pleased that we have now branched out into podcasting. It’s a great way to explain what goes on behind the scenes, and to provide Islanders with a bit of background about the people who are working hard to keep our Island running smoothly.”
Connétable Richard Buchanan, whose responsibilities include government communications, said: “The communications team is always considering new ways to reach different communities and age groups across the Island. They’ve recently branched out into TikTok and Snapchat, and using podcasts to provide an insight into how government works for Islanders allows us to provide more detail about how we work for you.
“I hope Islanders will take the time to listen and find out more about the people whose work during the pandemic has helped to keep us as safe as possible, by researching and advising ministers, by running a mass vaccination programme, or by helping Ministers to explain their decisions to Islanders.”
This first series looks behind the scenes at Government’s response to the Covid pandemic. Three episodes will launch today, and then another episode will be released each week.
Further series, of six episodes each, will follow. These will focus on different topics, each delving into the work of those who keep Jersey running. Future podcasts will meet the people who run the schools, staff the hospital, and process the information required at every stage of life.
This series has been produced with the help of students enrolled on the Digital Leadership Programme, and their tutor Terry Stevens, who is the Media Production Lead and Lecturer for the programme.
gov.je