One of the favourite narratives of the Ottawa media is that the Prime Minister doesn’t talk to them on enough occasions. This, of course lazily and unfairly extends to “doesn’t talk to reporters”. However, while some in Ottawa may yearn for more face-time with the PM, the PM’s comms focus has always prioritized local and regional news to get the story told outside of the “Ottawa bubble” and outside of the pack mentality of some in the Ottawa press gallery.
Yet, here’s a local reporter, getting a lot of buzz in Ottawa this morning among my fellow flacks and hacks on Twitter. Brad Bird’s story about a Prime Ministerial “snub” at a shellfish research centre in BC fits the Ottawa press narrative but has me a bit puzzled because it goes against the PMO local media outreach strategy. Or does it? Local reporter Brad Bird wrote,
For the media it was an odd dance, since no talking with the PM was permitted, and he allowed but that single comment to acknowledge them, during the quarter-hour allowed.
“Give ya 30 bucks if ya ask a question,” one scribe said to another. But it wasn’t that easy. He was too far away for that, and engaged with others. Interrupting would have been rude.
Reporters gathered for an event and no questions? Why? Here’s the event notice from the PMO that went out to all reporters,
September 7, 2010
Ottawa, Ontario
Public events for Prime Minister Stephen Harper for Wednesday, September 8th are:
Deep Bay, British Columbia
1:00 p.m. – Prime Minister Stephen Harper will Tour the Vancouver Island University Centre for Shellfish Research. He will be joined by James Lunney, Member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Alberni.
Vancouver Island University
Deep Bay Field Station
Deep Bay, British Columbia
*Photo Opportunity Only
There are no questions at photo ops of course, but can we really have a PM that only does photo ops? Oh wait. There were two media avails later that day. From the same notice,
Nanaimo, British Columbia
3:00 p.m. – Prime Minister Stephen Harper will make an announcement at Nanaimo’s Cruise Ship Berth. He will be joined by Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway; and James Lunney, Member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Alberni.
Nanaimo Port Authority – Assembly Wharf
11 Port Way
Nanaimo, British Columbia
*Open to Media
NOTES:
• Media are required to present proper identification for accreditation.
Victoria, British Columbia
6:00 p.m. – Prime Minister Stephen Harper will deliver remarks. He will be joined by Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway; and Gary Lunn, Minister of State for Sport.
Hatley Castle at Royal Roads University
2005 Sooke Road
Victoria, British Columbia
*Open to media
NOTES:
• Media are required to present proper identification for accreditation.
From Bird’s article,
This wasn’t Jean Chretien, who enjoyed engaging with media.
Chretien would come over and talk to us. Sometimes he’d get all choked up about it, or someone else would, he was that intimate.
If Bird remembers the days of Chretien, surely he’s enough of a press vet to know the difference between a photo op and a media avail?
UPDATE (2/25/2011): Brad Bird sends me an email and I’ve received his permission to publish it below.
This is the first time I’ve seen Mr. Taylor’s column. What he and others should know is that as a reporter on a community newspaper, I only got the one shot at talking to the Prime Minister. Sure, he was slated to visit Nanaimo and Victoria, but both are out of the readership area of my paper, the Oceanside Star. Besides, we were on deadline and I had little time to return to the office and write my story. By the way, the Q and A session he held in Nanaimo was a joke, a Nanaimo Daily News reporter wrote in a column, as he was permitted only one question. I stand by my article. Prime Ministers should talk to reporters. “Photo op only” is a cop out, especially when it cuts off the one chance a regional reporter has to ask questions of the highest elected official in this country. It’s a bad sign of how things have deteriorated in our democracy when the Prime Minister can get away with such tactics, and then have them supported by observers like Mr. Taylor. Yes, I remember when Trudeau and Chretien truly engaged with reporters. I’m 52 and was a kid on a school visit to the airport in Toronto when Trudeau and Margaret flew in and saw my class. He came over and chatted with us. Whatever your politics, that was considerate, and too often such courtesy is missing today.
Prime Minister Harper had time at Deep Bay to talk to us; he just didn’t bother. It was rude, inappropriate and bad politics all rolled up in one. Prime ministers of Canada should talk to the press and take questions whenever the opportunity allows. Mr. Harper probably would have enjoyed the exchange. Too bad it never happened. If it had, my story would have been much different and probably more to his liking. After all, how often does a reporter in Parksville get to question the PM? I believe he hurts himself as well as our democracy by refusing to engage freely with the media. It’s both his loss and ours.