S1E5: Singapore's Covid-19 Crisis Communication plan

Synopsis: This podcast series is based on selected chapters from a book detailing Singapore’s experience battling the Covid-19 pandemic. The book - written by journalists of The Straits Times and edited by ST’s executive editor Sumiko Tan - is titled In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story and is available in major bookstores. Details online: https://www.stbooks.sg/ In this fifth of six instalments, ST's executive editor Sumiko Tan looks back at how the government communicated its Covid 19 strategy in the first two years of the pandemic. This included bringing back the 1990s sitcom character Phua Chu Kang to persuade people to get vaccinated, and setting up a hotline call centre during the hurried switch to home recovery in late 2021 when the Delta variant raged.  Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended) 01:13 Snippet from viral music video featuring actor Gurmit Singh playing Phua Chu Kang; Mr Daniel Lee, an officer from the Ministry of Communications and Information, explains how the video was meant to target those in their 40s and 50s 02:50 Mr Janadas Devan, Chief of Government Communications, on the importance of maintaining public trust 06:54 Learning and adapting: The biggest comms mistake?  08:21 In 2021, the challenge was to get the elderly vaccinated; more music video campaigns rolled out in Chinese dialects, Malay and Tamil 11:25 Ms Lam Wy-Ning, deputy director of the Case Management Contact Centre, on setting up and manning the Covid-19 hotline during the difficult Delta variant period; dealing with widespread fear, anxiety, confusion 14:25 Minister for Communications and Information Mrs Josephine Teo in Parliament in March 2022 Produced by: Sumiko Tan ([email protected]), Ernest Luis and Hadyu Rahim Edited by: Hadyu Rahim Audio snippets: Courtesy of MCI SINGAPORE, GOVSG YOUTUBE Follow Singapore's War On Covid podcast series here: Channel: https://str.sg/wuJa Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3n Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJy SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: [email protected]  Read Sumiko Tan's stories: https://str.sg/Jbhe  --- Discover more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7  The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u  In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt  COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE  Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7  Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN  Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf  Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m  Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE  #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad  Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX  --- ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts  ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa  --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2  Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn  Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB  Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa  --- Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB  Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX  #stcovidbookSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.