Communications breakdown

With provincial elections coming this year, I thought a column about government communications might be in order; a communications breakdown, if you will.
First things first – I hate the very idea of government communications. Not the people, lots of good ones in communications. I hate what their profession has become.
When I was a lad the premier’s office and each department had a press secretary who was a liaison between ministers, senior departmental officials, and the press.
Over the decades this position has evolved. In government all departments have a director of communications, who deals with the media and issues press releases. The idea is a director of communications is a gatekeeper, and a member of the civil service, not political, their work is objective and unbiased.
That is – in a word – nonsense. It’s very subtle, but if you want one of those jobs, and you want to keep it, you’d best know where your bread is buttered. You and I pay for the bread and butter, but it’s doled out by politicians and their people.
There was a brief period during the Williams administration when they attempted to professionalize communications. That is long gone.
Communications people control the image of the government. Nothing is more important than image. Reality is often a nuisance to be spun away. Communications people will always find a way to explain, reinterpret or distract.
And everything is always very positive.
Modern government communications are all about positivity. Sometimes the positivity becomes so aggressive it borders on the surreal. I subscribe to government press releases and it’s an endless stream, day after day, of terrific news. Everything is always coming up roses. That’s the job.
My favourite example is the yearly budget. When it’s released it is buried under pages and pages of happy, helpful news briefs generated to “explain” to you what government is doing. The actual budget documents are buried on the website, hard to find if you don’t know what you’re looking for. That’s no accident.
The reality behind the scenes is very different. I have been, many time, witness to politicians being told what to say – and what not to say – to the media by communications people. Sometimes they are being helpful, often they are being controlling. (Here’s a reminder – you don’t vote for the comms people). I have sat through a few rants by people let go because they weren’t “team players.”
If there’s a big project to sell, communications people pull out all the stops.
Can a terrible project or idea be managed solely through communications? Think Muskrat Falls. That worked big time, and everyone got on board that express. At the time it was billed the salvation of us all. Turns out the next stop on that gravy train was provincial bankruptcy. Is comms control of elected officials bad? Go ask Independent MHA Paul Lane.
Now we are seeing the new Churchill Falls deal being sold to you – with your own money – as the greatest thing ever. It isn’t.
Not that any government politician would ever, ever, ever say that. We own the greatest hydro resource in Canada, yet our power bills are rising out of our reach – and it’s far from over. We are poised to give away that resource for a pittance. But don’t worry, its all good!
Many communications people are former reporters. A director of communications can earn upwards of $100,000 plus a year. Trust me, unless you work for the state run media (which you also pay for) no one in that profession is making that kind of money. For a lucky chosen few it’s the next logical career step. Great salary, fabulous benefits and a handsome pension, just so long as you understand which way the wind is blowing.
I have always passed on offers to work in communications. Years ago, a well-known politician (and friend) who, knowing I was a single parent, nabbed me a lucrative comms job. He was solving all my financial problems. When I passed, he was momentarily speechless (which didn’t happen to him very often) then hollered at me “What! What are you? Allergic to money!?”
Kind of.
Government hires many professionals and spends tens of millions of your dollars trying to convince you they know what they are doing, and it’s the right thing.
On the other hand, suggesting they don’t and pointing out you’re being sold a bill of goods doesn’t cost you a cent. Just grab a Shoreline when you are heading out of the store.

Ivan Morgan can be reached at ivan.morgan@gmail.com