"Stay the Blazes Home" inFocus on political communications during a pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic, like all crises, put a bright spotlight on political leadership.

Political leaders, at the federal, provincial and municipal levels, were tested in ways few ever imagined when they first ran for office. The past 13 months have forced leaders to communicate and engage the public more frequently and in a different manner than normal.

In this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by two people who know a lot about communications, leadership, and political branding. I wanted to get their takes on how our political leaders have done, how leading through a crisis is different, and what it all means for the future of Canadian politics.

Jeni Armstrong is an instructor at the Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management at Carleton University. For 20 years she has been a leading communication professional most recently serving as Director of Communications for former Finance Minister Bill Morneau. Before that, she served as the lead speechwriter for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Dr. Alex Marland is a professor of Political Science at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dr. Marland is an expert on Canadian politics, communications, and political branding. His book, Brand Command: Canadian Politics and Democracy in the Age of Message Control published by UBC press in 2016 won the Donner Prize for best public policy book by a Canadian.