Canada's G-G: a(nother) journalist?

It's probably no surprise to Canada-watchers that the next person likely to rise to one of the country's highest constitutional posts - the governer-general, the queen's official representative in Canada - is a woman. Or that she's francophone. Or that she was born outside Canada. Or even that she is non-white. (Some of you might still think that governers-general still come from the ranks of corpulent colonial ex-generals with big white ceremonial uniforms, swords and funny hats, but that really isn't the case any more.) Still, it might still surprise some (like me, for example) to know that Canada's next G-G is a journalist by trade, and a television journalist to boot! It might be even more surprising to learn that this person will be the third governer-general in recent times to come from a broadcast journalism background. In the United States, where journalism is held in pretty low esteem these days, and where journalists who aspire to high public office don't always meet with universal admiration (Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, anyone?), this is all a bit of a (pleasant) shock to the system.

Anyhoo . . . the G-G aspirant in question is Michaëlle Jean (see right), who will be the first black governer-general. She was born in Haiti, grew up in Montreal, speaks five languages, and became a reporter on Radio-Canada's French language services, moving on to CBC Newsworld as well as documentary filmmaking (a fuller CBC bio is here).

The previous two G-G's are also female and journalists. The current post-holder is Adrienne Clarkson, who is of East Asian heritage and who was born in Hong Kong. Before that it was Jeanne Sauvé, a French-Canadian and also a successful journalist.

So what is it with Canadian journalism and the highest ceremonial-constitutional position in Canada? Well, Stephen Thorne in Macleans likes to think that media know-how and communication skills are now "modern-day prerequisites for the job of governor general in an age when Canadian unity is threatened and the public demands accountability." In a background piece on the announcement ("Recent appointments suggest GG's role evolving with the times, say experts"), he quotes communication industry insiders and "corporate head-hunters" as follows:

Given their experience and talent, it should be no surprise two television journalists in a row - Adrienne Clarkson and now Michaelle Jean - have been appointed Canada's ceremonial head of state, say corporate head-hunters.

"There are skills inherent in broadcast journalism that are really transferable and an obvious match," said Judith Wightman of Wightman and Associates, an Ottawa-based executive search firm.

"You don't want somebody with a really narrow or industry-specific focus that may not be as relatable to the rest of the Canadian public. You want to see somebody who's very sensitive to regional and pan-Canadian issues."

The role of governor general - the Queen's representative, head of state and military commander in chief - is largely ceremonial and symbolic. But, as Clarkson showed, it can be an important voice in issues of Canadian unity, culture and equality. Empathy, said Wightman, is a key attribute, along with an understanding of the domestic and international political climates.

"Broadcast journalism and that whole industry lends itself to that. On top of that, I would expect to see people with good presentation skills and good representational skills. Right away, they have a natural credibility as a source of information." If the job is to continue to carry weight and credibility with Canadians, it has to change with the times, the experts say. And change is what the Clarkson and Jean appointments suggest, said John Aimers, chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada. With the growth of 24-hour television news and the Internet, scrutiny of public offices has increased. Communications skills and the ability to handle or deflect criticism are more important than ever.

Now one could be cynical for a moment and note that the fact that this particular journalist is a woman and black and francophone just might be a ploy by Prime Minister Paul Martin's government to court both Quebec and progressive support as Quebec separatist sentiment is seeing a resurgence. And the announcement of Jean's appointment has raised some eyebrows, caused some controversy (see, e.g., some readers' comments from the Globe & Mail web site), and apparently met with little interest in Quebec. But, as with Canada's legalization of gay marriage, the fact that a move like this could even be contemplated at the highest reaches of government reminds us what it's like to see a government system in action that's still essentially progressive rather than deeply conservative. Good show!