I was thinking about my radio career today. Early on, it seemed like politicians were much more accessible. I had @BradWall306 on speed dial in #YLL. I had many #ABleg ministers' personal cells. Does that happen nowadays or are the only connections through press secretaries?
It felt like there was a level of accountability that came with the job & there was no go-between. I will say this: trying to lineup #ABleg ministers for my show over the last year was nearly impossible. A few came on (@AdrianaLaGrange, @tanya_fir & @RicMcIver come to mind).
They were always booked through press secretaries. It's their job & I get that. However, if it's their job, the inconsistency was noticeable. I tried multiple times to get @shandro (pre-pandemic), @JasonNixonAB & others on, but was met with written statements or silence.
And I totally get that there is an apprehension & I was likely on a few "do not call" lists. Because heaven forbid I try to hold a government to account or call out hypocrisy. But that is seemingly what it has come to in today's political landscape. You are a friend or foe.
And it goes both ways. There were multiple requests in to get @JustinTrudeau on the show & on the station over the years. His ministers were hit & miss as well. Again, hard to blame because it's not like Alberta is Liberal-friendly. But I digress.
It just kinda struck me today that it was a lot easier to get in touch with politicians a decade ago. I will give credit on the municipal front: all have cellphones & many prefer for us to text them for requests. It's just an interesting game. Anyways, carry on. #cdnpoli #ABleg
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