Pentagon Reporters Believe They Are Being Ignored Because Of Their Tough Coverage

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White and Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, the Joint Staff director, brief reporters at the Pentagon, April 5, 2018. DoD photo by Air Force Tech Sgt. Vernon Young Jr.

Politico: Pentagon punishes reporters over tough coverage

Coupled with eroding access to top Defense Department officials, Pentagon reporters say it's becoming increasingly difficult to provide critical information to Americans.

The Pentagon’s top spokesperson was ostensibly seeking to make peace with the media when she headed down to the building’s press bullpen about three weeks ago for an off-the-record discussion on how to improve relations.

But the meeting quickly grew combative, according to three people who were in the room. When reporters raised issues like vanishing access to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other top officials, Dana White pushed back by criticizing the accuracy of press corps members’ reporting.

She made clear, according to the reporters present, that she was watching what they wrote and put on-air — with the implication that there would be repercussions for stories she and her staff did not like.

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WNU Editor: Reporters being "punished' for the stories that they publish .... as well as reporters being "rewarded" for the stories that they publish .... is unfortunately nothing new. During the Obama administration FOX News was persona non grata, but now they are the favorite for the administration when it comes to exclusive stories. I have also noticed this more combative nature of the Pentagon press coverage between the Pentagon and the press corps under the Trump administration. This is in contrast on what happened during the Obama administration, where in my opinion I felt the press was giving the administration a past .... especially on how the Pentagon was conducting its many wars, its drone program, and its procurement of weapon systems. Flash forward to today, the press is no longer giving the Pentagon pass, and they have returned to their roots on how to conduct their job. So where were they for the previous 8 years .... you tell me. In the case of Defense One being blacklisted by the Pentagon .... this does not surprise me. They have good sources within the Pentagon, and they have an excellent history of posting stories before anyone else usually does.