Globe public editor: Why we don’t refer to Kathleen Wynne as premier
This is a long-standing policy of The Globe and Mail and some other media organizations to recognize that while a campaign is under way, these people are first and foremost party leaders during the weeks of campaigning. But it is also an attempt to level the playing field in news coverage, writes public editor Sylvia Stead.
By Sylvia Stead, public editor of The Globe and Mail
During the Ontario election campaign, Kathleen Wynne should rarely be referred to as Premier. She is the provincial Liberal Leader until the voters decide on June 12 who will lead the province.
This is a long-standing policy of The Globe and Mail and some other media organizations to recognize that while a campaign is under way, the legislature is not sitting and the focus is on politics and trying to convince you how to cast your vote. It is not on the business of running a government.
The one exception is for work that is truly as head of the province. For example, if all the premiers were meeting the Prime Minister, she would be Premier Kathleen Wynne.
This is not the case during campaign speeches, debates or any other political events when they are politicians. The same is true for all provinces and for the federal government and should be for municipal campaigns as well, once a government is not sitting and for any political events such as debates during a campaign.
To continue reading this column, please go theglobeandmail.com where it was originally published.
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Tamara Baluja is an award-winning journalist with CBC Vancouver and the 2018 Michener-Deacon fellow for journalism education. She was the associate editor for J-Source from 2013-2014.
