Communications manager on the move
Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (Dec 04/00) - A spin doctor is what reporters call a person who works in communications for the government or business.
They're a person who puts a positive spin on a negative or questionable situation. We also say those people have sold out or have gone over to the 'dark side' because they've chosen not to work in the noble profession of journalism.
But, when you talk to Jennifer Lilly and meet her steadfast gaze, you get the feeling that's not always the case.
The former resident of Newfoundland -- now Nunavut's regional communications manager for the department of Indian and Northern Affairs -- said she was "not at all" a spin doctor.
She also said she'd never compromised her own ethics by passing on a message she didn't believe.
"I've been fortunate so far that that hasn't happened to me. If ever I was to face that situation, I'd be pretty vocal in expressing why it wasn't the appropriate route or why it wouldn't be appropriate to say that sort of thing," said Lilly, speaking from her sparkling new office in the Government of Canada building in Iqaluit.
Overseeing a staff of three, Lilly said by being responsible for DIAND's communications in Nunavut, she had to look after all internal and external communications, while also dealing with the media.
"My main role when it comes to the media is to filter the calls through so they speak to the appropriate people," said Lilly.
That doesn't mean avoiding calls from reporters or stonewalling requests for information.
"At least in my mind, good communications is when you can be open and honest to the people you're serving...so we are getting out there and spreading the word and so people have the opportunity to respond and provide feedback," she said.
Trained in public relations at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Lilly said her innate way with words drove her to a career that involved creating sentences.
That she said, led her to some stressful moments, like the first time she heard a government minister give a speech she had penned.
"The first time I remember that happening it was surreal," said Lilly.
"I felt more nervous being in the crowd than the person did up there (in front of the audience) because I was thinking, how do my words sound," she said.
Given the opportunity to study a variety of things during her education -- including photography, video editing, setting priorities and meeting tight deadlines -- Lilly said the degree had trained her for the multi-faceted jobs she eventually went on to take.
She said it had also prepared her for a future job in a private corporation.
"I'd like to see the other side of the coin," she said.
"I like where I'm at now in the federal government, but I foresee myself venturing out. It sounds exciting and a little on the unpredictable side. There's an element of risk in entering the private sector."
