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YVCOG launches podcast and expands social media to boost public outreach, highlights Target 0 safety series
Summary
Yakima Valley Conference of Governments briefed commissioners on a new podcast and social‑media effort to explain local government work; staff said the podcast is growing and will feature Target 0 traffic safety content and Spanish‑language episodes.
Chris Wiggenhagen and Raquel Crowley told the Board of Yakima County Commissioners that YVCOG has launched a podcast to increase outreach and explain local government processes to residents.
Wiggenhagen said the podcast is intended to be nonpolitical, to give elected officials a platform to describe projects and invite public participation. He said the COG offers two hosting options to members: YVCOG‑hosted episodes with COG staff conducting interviews, or member‑hosted episodes where a jurisdiction provides its own host.
Raquel Crowley described the production team and distribution strategy. She said the podcast is cross‑promoted on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and that the team is developing short clips and soundbites for social channels. Crowley said the podcast’s audience is growing and noted that staff plan to produce Spanish‑language episodes to extend reach.
The presentation previewed a Target 0 episode (Target 0 is a traffic‑safety initiative to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries). Wiggenhagen said the COG is the host agency for Target 0 activities in the valley and that the podcast will be used to educate about driving under the influence and distracted driving prevention. Crowley cited early audience growth and said staff will travel throughout the valley to record local voices.
Commissioners asked about typical episode length (20–40 minutes) and pricing (varies by length). Wiggenhagen and Crowley said costs cover staff time and that episodes can be shared with county media partners if those partners’ policies permit. No formal county action was taken on the podcast during the work session.
