The podcast has soared in popularity over the past few years, from its humble beginnings as an audio file downloaded to your iPod from iTunes, to become more accessible than ever. For every wickedly funny podcast out there, there is another incredibly informative one, in fact you can probably find one on every topic imaginable. This is particularly true for govtech UK and we encourage our clients to put themselves forward for podcasts as another media platform.
To give you a flavour of our recommended public sector, IT and work related podcasts, we asked our team to put forward one industry show that they would recommend as well as personal favourite for good measure!
Here is the Mantis top 20 for 2020:
- Eleanor Willock, General Manager
The BotCast from We Build Bots “Not currently running but an absolute goldmine of public sector digital transformation stories straight from the public sector leaders themselves – expect strategy, insights and challenges.”
Personal choice: You’re Dead To Me “Horrible Histories’ Greg Jenner takes on historical figures in depth with two guests, one expert and one interested but clueless, for a funny and fact-filled hour of entertainment.”
- Bryony Cox, Account Director
One Team Gov “A podcast of real conversations with awesome people doing interesting stuff in government and the public sector.”
Personal choice: How to Own the Room “Comedian and radio & TV presenter Viv Groskop talks to inspirational women about the secrets of brilliant speaking. The absolute masterclass in public speaking.”
- Anna Hennessy, Client Services Director
Women Tech Charge “Meet the extraordinary women who are leading the charge with technology. Produced by the Evening Standard and hosted by Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, Women Tech Charge is a series of candid conversations with inventors and entrepreneurs.”
Personal choice: Wired UK “The latest tech, science, business and culture news, with new episodes every Friday.”
- Joanna Clark, Account Manager
The Future of Work Podcast with Jacob Morgan “Each week Jacob Morgan sits down with top business leaders to get their insights on everything from artificial intelligence, employee experience and workforce trends to the 4th industrial revolution, data and analytics.”
Personal Choice: S-Town “If you’re a fan of investigative journalism then this is the podcast for you. Settle in for a complex, sometimes troubling and incredibly invasive deep dive into one man’s life. His mental health struggles and the socioeconomic challenges facing S-town – a rural Alabama community.”
- Caitlin Napier, Account Executive
IT Pro Podcast “A weekly show for tech professionals discussing new or ongoing issues that matter to the UK IT community. It began in October 2019 and is a great listen to keep updated on current affairs or trends in the industry – like the recent Windows 7 end of life deadline earlier in January.”
Personal choice: Abroad in Japan “Independent filmmaker Chris Broad brings you his multi-award winning YouTube channel Abroad In Japan in podcast form. Aided by broadcaster Pete Donaldson, they bring you a taste of life in the most unique country in the world, from great cuisine to capsule hotels, current events and tips on how to spend your time there.”
- Lauren Gill, Account Director
Talking Local Government “Brings together a wide range of professionals to talk about themes and topics impacting UK local government and public services.”
Personal choice: Conversations of Inspiration “Holly Tucker, founder of Not On The High Street, has inspiring conversations with makers, creators and innovators about the highs and lows of building a business.”
- Rebecca Paddick, Senior Account Manager
The EdTech Podcast “Covering schools, higher education and lifelong learning. The mission of The Edtech Podcast is to improve the dialogue between ‘ed’ & ‘tech’ for better innovation, through storytelling.”
Personal choice: The Gemma Collins podcast “A no-holds barred look at the life of The GC, full of candid chat, laughs and insider gossip. Also has some strangely insightful episodes on technology.”
- Luke Allsop, Account Executive
Beyond Today “The daily podcast from Radio 4 that asks one big question about one big story in the news. Tina Daheley and Matthew Price search for answers that change the way we see the world, telling stories about identity, technology, and power and where it lies and how it is changing.”
Personal choice: Tailenders “A loosely based cricket podcast with an alternative and sometimes musical attempt at getting more people to love the game. The Tailenders are led by Radio 1’s Greg James, Felix White from The Maccabees and England’s all time greatest fast bowler Jimmy Anderson. The three are also joined by a rollasole shoe salesman from Bristol known as Machin Tendulkar, related to Sachin himself and is responsible for organising the game shows.”
- Lilian Smit, Account Manager
The H.S Health-Tech Podcast “Hosted by ex clinician Dr James Somauroo, the health tech podcast offers the latest analysis on the health and technology landscape through interviews with disruptive health-tech companies. There’s lots of variation in the companies and the topics covered.”
Personal choice: Radiolab “A long running and well known podcast. One week I’m trying to understand neuroscience, the next I’m gripped by the argument for our right to be forgotten. Radiolab is always an investigative and accessible foray into science, politics and human nature. More recently it’s started featuring Dolly Parton themed episodes which has caused a lot of buzz in the office.”
Honourable mentions (because we had to hit 20)
Human Centred Design Human centred design is a key focus for public sector websites and therefore for a lot of our clients.
Voice Tech Podcast We know from our reading that voice tech is going to be a REALLY key focus for the tech industry this year. We’ll keep listening in to this to get the latest.
