Interview with Danielle Stephens, Guardian acting lead audio producer. Conducted by Charlotte Im, Guardian Foundation assistant archivist on 30 April 2021. Recorded remotely using Zencastr and Google Meet software.
Summary contents of interview (with rough timings):
00:15 Introduction to the role of acting lead audio producer including producing the weekly US politics podcast and executive producing the UK politics podcast and football weekly
01:00 Discusses the Reverberate podcast which explores stories from around the world about when music shook history
04:35 How the UK politics podcast is produced both before and during the pandemic
08:30 Communicating and working with Guardian journalists on podcasts
12:05 Discusses her favourite podcast episodes
14:20 How Covid-19 has impacted her work including discussion of audio quality, technical issues and working from home
19:20 The years highlights including interviewing former Republican party politician Michael Steele and interviewing people for general election coverage across the UK
22:00 Getting more personality out of guests and hosts during the pandemic
25:00 The major topics and issues of the past year including reporting the US election from London, covering the UK government's Covid response and lack of opposition and calls for Scottish and Welsh independence
28:50 Thoughts on what she hopes may change in her role in the coming years
31:05 The platforms used to engage with listeners
32:55 The Guardian's podcasts going from strength to strength
Duration: 34 minutes and 23 seconds.
Creator: Guardian News & Media Ltd (2006-)
Im; Charlotte (c1991); archivist and lecturer