Edmonton... Two veteran journalists will join Premier Ed Stelmach's office in key communications roles. Premier Stelmach announced the appointment of Paul Stanway as Director of Communications and Tom Olsen as Director of Media Relations.Tom Olsen and Paul Stanway are two well-known very predictably Conservative columnists from conservative Calgary newspapers. Olsen's brother worked as part of Ralph Klein's communications team back in the 1990's. Other than bringing in two right-wing media pundits into his inner circle, it's too early to tell how this move will turn out for Stelmach. I guess it may depend on how good of a relationship these two actually have with their soon to be former collegues.
It should also be interesting to look up what Stelmach's two new spin-doctors have written about him in the past. Google is both a wonderful and dangerous thing.
Not sure I undertand the argument here. Who is Stelmach supposed to hire? Some left-winger?
ReplyDeleteIt was an observation, not a thesis statement.
ReplyDeleteBut there is a BIG difference between being the media and doing communications/media relations. It it's like the difference between being a zoo keeper and feeding the monkeys and being a vet doing surgery on them. (I'm not sure which I'd equate to which.)
ReplyDeleteAssuming they have the experience in their resumes they seem like good hires.
Dave your point about what they have written in the past is a poignant one. This is really the first time a tool like Google can support or destroy a person in a job like this. Fortunately HR people can use Google too. So there shouldn't be too many skeletons coming forward. (Unless the government has REALLY bad HR people.)
Speaking of skeletons...
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, Dave, this is a shameless plug.
And it was a poor plug at that.
ReplyDeleteFemale interns in the premier's office may also want to keep a wary eye on Olsen's famously wandering hands. Many a lady at the Calgary Herald can tell you more about what I mean.
ReplyDeleteFamily values indeed.