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Do journalists make for good politicians?

Andy Radia
·Politics Reporter

Another journalist is making the jump to politics.

Toronto Star columnist Linda McQuaid announced, on Monday, that she will be running for nomination for the federal New Democrats in Toronto-centre, the seat vacated by Bob Rae.

"I’ve dedicated my professional life to writing and speaking publicly about issues that I care about deeply – countering income inequality and the austerity agenda, protecting and enhancing our public programs, tackling climate change and other environmental threats, and returning Canada to a constructive role in the world," she wrote in a media release.

"I now want to move from advocacy to action. After years as an observer and critic, I want to join a team actively fighting to build a Canada that is equal, inclusive and responsible – a Canada that is seriously under threat by Stephen Harper’s Conservative government."

Incidentally, the battle for Toronto centre — in a byelction that is yet to be called — could be a battle of ex-journos.

McQuaid will initially faceoff against Jennifer Hollett, who has worked for CBC, CTV and Muchmusic, for the NDP nomination.

And last week, Chrystia Freeland, a Consumer Editor with Thomson Reuters, announced her candidacy for the Liberal nomination.

[ Related: Is new star Liberal candidate Chrystia Freeland the new Ignatieff? ]

The influx of journos into the political sphere raises at least two questions.

First of all: what's with all the journalists running for office?

And secondly, do journalists make good politicians?

For the answer to the first question, we go to a tweet from Ipsos Reid pollster Darrell Bricker:

The second question is a little more difficult to answer.

The recent examples suggest that media outlets have not been good training grounds for politicians.

According to the Parliament of Canada website, there are currently 17 MPs and five senators who used to be journalists.

The highest profile ex-journo MPs include Peter Kent — who is now an ex-Cabinet minister — and NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus.

Former journos in the Senate include Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin who are both are at the centre of an expense scandal that has sullied the good work of the red chamber.

Historically, there's not a lot of superstars either. Sheila Copps and Brian Tobin top the list of 162 former journalists to have ever based themselves in the hallowed halls of the House of Commons.

[ More politics: Video of Australian political candidate’s awkward interview goes viral ]

Internationally, journalists have seemed to fair a bit better.

Here's a recent overview from Bloomberg:

The record in the U.S. offers fewer prominent examples, but they seem to have fared better. Al Franken was a great comedian and a so-so pundit, but his career as a senator seems promising. Samantha Power worked as a freelance journalist in Africa; won a Pulitzer Prize for her book, “A Problem From Hell,” on genocide and American policy; and went on to wield influence on the same topic inside the administration of President Barack Obama. The Congressional Research Service notes 20 members of Congress who worked in journalism at some point, though not necessarily right before taking office. Few have risen to the highest levels.

(Journalists may instead prefer to see themselves as following in the steps of their counterparts across the Atlantic. Winston Churchill became a hero covering the Boer War, and Boris Johnson, now mayor of London, was editor of the Spectator before entering Parliament.)

What do you think?

Would you like to see more journalists run for office? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

(Photo courtesy of the Canadian Press)

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