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From Mattis intv this AM:
HH: Very last question, General. Is my business, journalism, are we up to the task of cooperating without being compromised with military campaigns, because we’re in the business of getting clicks and stories read, 1
HH: Very last question, General. Is my business, journalism, are we up to the task of cooperating without being compromised with military campaigns, because we’re in the business of getting clicks and stories read, 1
that sometimes works to the great disadvantage of people whose lives are on the line. Do you see us reconciling that tension?
JM: I do not, Hugh. I accept that under our Constitution, the press to do its job does not even need to be fair or accurate. 2
JM: I do not, Hugh. I accept that under our Constitution, the press to do its job does not even need to be fair or accurate. 2
I accept that, although I think many people in the responsible press, and I find them across the political spectrum, there’s representatives of responsible press, they do try to get it right. 3
And there are some that actually have been aware of classified information and have not printed it in a manner that would cost us casualties. But the press is so amorphous now. There’s the good, the bad, and the ugly. 4
And what we need to do as members of the govt is make certain that we’re working with the responsible members, even when they’re reporting something that’s uncomfortable for us and do our best to keep them close so that they get full transparency at least to the degree we can. 5
There’s some things you simply have to classify or we’ll fail – a raid to kill, capture and kill bin Laden. We could not announce that in advance. Nobody would have expected us to. 6
But there are many people in the press, I think who if they had heard about it, would not have announced it. But there are others who, you’re right, they would have. 7
So the press manifests itself one person, one man, one woman at a time, and people should have to live with their reputations, as far as I’m concerned, and I’ll do my best to always open doors to members of the press. 8
I did so when I was on active duty, I remember, with the 1st Marines division and 23,000 troops. I had over 100 members of the press embedded among them. I was that confident with what they would see would be heartening for the American people and the global audience. 9
So it’s got the good, the bad, and the ugly, just like every human organization, Hugh." hughhewitt.com/general-james-… 10
