Politico: Pentagon reporters frustrated by Mattis
Trump's war on the press may be spilling over into the Defense Department, journalists fear.
Pentagon reporters are complaining of decreased access to Defense Secretary James Mattis, as well as a reduction in journalists allowed to travel on official trips, at a time when the Trump administration is dealing with national security challenges from the Middle East to North Korea.
Under Mattis, the Defense Department has become less transparent and publicly accountable than it has been in previous administrations, according to interviews with numerous reporters who cover the beat. The reporters requested anonymity, saying they feared that being quoted by name could lead to further loss of access.
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Update: Pentagon reporters annoyed with decreased access to Mattis: report (The Hill)
WNU Editor: This blog has been covering the Pentagon for the past ten years, and during the Obama administration I was always astounded on the news and strategies that were made available to the public via through the news media. I could never understand why the administration was doing this (aside from the political reasons) .... because all it did was to give America's adversaries a heads up on what the U.S. was going to do. Case in point .... announcing the date for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan even though the war was (and is) raging in the countryside. As for the Trump administration .... especially the Pentagon .... they have adopted a different approach, and one that is more in line with the past. Is the press frustrated with this new policy .... quite clearly they are. My prediction .... I expect this frustration to only increase with time, because I doubt that Defense Secretary James Mattis and President Trump are going to bend on this one.
