Interview with Pamela Wallin.

• Author: Cohen, Andrew
• Position: Canada-US Relations: The View From New York

A former journalist, Pamela Wallin is Canadian Consul General in New York City. She was in Ottawa to give the Ruth Dick and Judy Bell Lecture at Carleton University. While in Ottawa she was interviewed by Andrew Cohen of Carleton University's School of Journalism. This is a edited version of that interview on October 21, 2004.

On a personal level have you found the transition from journalist to diplomat difficult as they seem to require completely different instincts and qualities?

Not really. The mission of the journalist is to inform minds, to give people information and context to that information so they can make informed decisions about how democracy functions. The job of the diplomat is exactly the same. You need to provide good credible information about your host country to your own country and vice versa. When I bring the right people together around the dinner table to have a conversation about that relationship it is not notably different from bringing the right people together for an interview in a television studio.

The one notable exception is that as a diplomat I often have to bite my tongue and keep my opinions to myself. Private conversations tend to be very candid and the more honest we are with each other the more business will be done and the better will be the relationship. It may be counter productive to say things publicly.

However, as part of my job, I am often asked to appear on US media and I do so because I think it is important. I know from my experience as a journalist that reporters are not interested in happy talk, good news and press releases. If you are not prepared to participate in a frank discussion with the American media you might as well stay home.

How does one raise awareness about Canada in New York?

It is a tremendous challenge because there at least 192 countries represented in New York aside from those at the United Nations. We are competing for attention. We cannot think that just because we are a neighbour and have a longstanding relationship, they should pay attention to us. The thing New Yorkers care about is what is the best, what is the most interesting, what is the most original and if it is they embrace it willingly.

So the task is to overcome the snow bunny image we have and to do it a very concrete way. To some extent we are responsible for that image when we promote our pristine country with mountains and maple syrup. One of my colleagues suggested we should use a photograph of a...