The N.W.T. premier has a new Instagram account. Here's why

It's not glamorous, but sometimes being premier means balancing a ring light on a stack of books to speak alone into a camera. 

It's part of N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson's strategy to raise the Northwest Territories' profile, something he's been working to do by writing columns for national media outlets, appearing on public-policy podcasts, and with a new personal Instagram account. 

"I get comments about my social media from everyone, from other premiers to my 16-year-old niece — so it's definitely being noticed," Simpson said. 

His Instagram profile is mostly posed photos with other politicians making announcements, or sharing the subject of a meeting. He says the goal, particularly with the written columns and network appearances, is to make sure the N.W.T. doesn't fall through the cracks. 

"A lot of it was a way to get the attention of the federal ministers — who might be busy in meetings … but they're going to watch Power & Politics that week, they're going to listen to the podcast," he said. 

Simpson said it's about playing the long game. 

"We need to ensure that the Northwest Territories is on the minds of the federal politicians, the federal ministers, when they're making decisions. We need to make sure it's on the minds of industry around Canada when they're making decisions about where to invest," he said.

"And we want to make sure that it's on the minds of just Canadians, when they're thinking about where to spend their next vacation."

It's a common strategy for politicians, but arguably less common among northern leaders. Simpson's constituents seem to be noticing the change. 

Shari Caudron, a resident of Simpson's hometown Hay River, N.W.T., says it increases government transparency. 

"It's good to actually know our leaders are working," she said.  

Eileen Marlowe in Yellowknife agrees. 

"I think it's great that he's making himself a little bit more visible," she said. "I don't recall any other premier doing this." 

Agata Gutkowska, the premier's former press secretary, said former premier Caroline Cochrane also targetted a federal audience with her own opinion pieces in national outlets like The Hill Times or The Globe and Mail. 

But Gutkowska said that before Simpson, the N.W.T. was the only Canadian jurisdiction whose premier did not have an Instagram account.

Communicating premier to public

Alex Marland, a professor at Acadia University who studies political marketing and communication, says it makes sense for politicians to use free tools, like Instagram, to reach audiences. 

He said it creates the transparency Marlowe and Caudron referred to, while allowing voters and others to get to know leaders. 

"Of course, we have to be careful because they're only showing us what they want us to see," he said. 

Marland said politicians can communicate directly with the public as a substitute for interacting with media who may be more likely to question or criticize the politician. 

"So they can try to appear transparent, when in fact what they're doing is they're giving us a certain image that they want to be able to control," Marland said.

Simpson, however, said he's not trying to avoid accountability and that he still gives as many interviews as he can to journalists. 

He says being premier means being "the face of the territory, working to raise the profile of the territory, working to educate the rest of Canada about the territory."

"And social media gives us that opportunity," he said.