Jacinda Ardern’s COVID years – the story behind the press conferences
From the Beehive podium to the living rooms of every Kiwi household, Jacinda: The Untold Stories goes behind the carefully managed pandemic narrative that defined a generation. Based on more than 100 interviews, it reveals how one leader turned daily briefings into a global PR phenomenon — and what New Zealand lost along the way.
Written by veteran journalist David Cohen (RNZ, The Listener) and Rebecca Keillor (Vancouver Sun), this deeply researched account explores the human side of the COVID response — the moments of unity, the culture of control, and the legacy that reshaped our small nation’s place in the world.
Inside the story — key themes for New Zealand readers
- Inside the Beehive bubble: The decision-making and message management that shaped lockdown life across Aotearoa.
- The COVID cult of personality: How empathy, brand, and politics blurred the lines between leadership and celebrity.
- Winners and losers: The effect on business, media, and public trust in Wellington’s corridors of power after 2020.
- Global spotlight: How the world fell in love with the “Jacinda model” — and what that meant for New Zealand’s international image.
About the authors
David Cohen and Rebecca Keillor are award-winning journalists who have written for major outlets including RNZ, The Listener, and The Vancouver Sun. Their collaboration brings context, balance, and depth to one of New Zealand’s most divisive chapters.
Through exclusive interviews and never-before-heard accounts, they re-examine how leadership, loyalty, and lockdown changed the country forever.
Order your copy
📘 Jacinda: The Untold Stories — the unauthorised biography of New Zealand’s most talked-about leader. A must-read for anyone who lived through the lockdown years and wants to understand what really went on inside the Beehive.
Order now at Centrist.nz