Pew International Journalism Program

Bush Administration's Information Controls Pose Challenges for Washington Reporters

By Geraldine Sealey, Spring 2003 Pew Fellow

WASHINGTON, February 11, 2003 -- Journalists covering foreign affairs in Washington these days must work around the Bush Administration's strict information controls while resisting the charisma of figures like Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell, two veteran reporters said today.

At the Pentagon, staying "on message" has meant an official silencing of many potential sources for journalists, said National Public Radio Pentagon correspondent Tom Gjelten who joined USA Today diplomatic correspondent Barbara Slavin in speaking to journalists in the Pew International Journalism Program.

Under Rumsfeld, sources clammed up and memos circulated to Pentagon staffers forbidding them to talk to reporters without permission, Gjelten said. Even long-time acquaintances of Gjelten's stopped returning phone calls, he said. "We saw more of an emphasis on staying on message and less emphasis on getting information out" in this Pentagon, he said.

Getting stories now is more difficult than during the Clinton Administration -- although still possible, Slavin said. Reporters must "peel the onion," she said, by starting with peripheral sources and working in. Despite the administration's focus on a "message," Slavin said, there are still some sources willing to talk. "Before 9/11 and even after, ideological divisions have been so big." Some sources "will tell you things because they're angry," she said.

At the Pentagon, while some military sources may have dried up, journalists are getting quite a bit of face time with the secretary himself. Rumsfeld's regular appearances in the press briefing room are unprecedented for a defense secretary, Gjelten said. On trips abroad, Rumsfeld often visits the press section of the plane and dines with a select group of journalists. "I can't complain about access to Rumsfeld," Gjelten said. "He's funny, engaging and charming."

Covering Powell's State Department, Slavin also knows the pull of a charming leader. "He's larger than life, a genuine American hero," she said. When it's easy to get the "official" spin, however, and the spin comes from such a charismatic figurehead, reporters must remember to maintain their skepticism and distance, Gjelten said.

Despite the strict control of information in Washington, journalists gearing up for a potential U.S. war with Iraq are having a much different experience. So far, the Pentagon has taken unparalleled steps to prepare reporters for war, Gjelten said. Already, the Pentagon has paved the way for 400 "embeds," or reporters traveling with soldiers into action. But Gjelten said becoming an embed is not a matter of "taking a number." "They're careful about who they embed," he said.