The new Pentagon press rules being protested by the media wouldn’t have stopped him from doing the job during his decade covering the U.S. military beat, nationally-syndicated talk radio show and podcast host Chris Plante tells CNSNews in an exclusive interview.
The vast majority of reporters turned in their Pentagon press credentials last week because new rules designed to prevent leaks require them to be accompanied by escorts at times and forbid them from soliciting confidential information from government employees.
But, Plante says the rules wouldn’t have hurt his reporting – and won’t encumber veteran reporters working inside the Pentagon today.
“They might make your day at work a little more annoying. If you are new to the beat, it might make things a little tougher for you to find out what’s going on” - but they won’t prevent Pentagon reporters from getting the information they need, Plante explains:
“I covered the U.S. military and intelligence for ten years. I went to my office in the Pentagon every weekday for a decade.
“I honestly think that these new rules, such as they are, would not have stopped me from finding out what was going on behind the scenes, or doing my job in any way. And I think that seasoned reporters covering the beat would not be impeded by them.”
“For me, a good and fun story to dig into right now would be the newfound practice of blowing up Venezuelan drug boats from the air. Fun story,” Plante says. “I would want to sit down with people in the building who are smart on that topic.”
“And I am confident that I would find those people, regardless of the new rules,” Plante tells CNSNews.
Even so, the new Pentagon press policy does have its downsides, Plante notes.
For one, the policy will probably backfire, he says:
“Believe it or not, I would expect that there will be people working in the Pentagon who are annoyed by the new rules and might be inclined to leak more as a form or rebellion. That sort of thing certainly happens.
“Keep in mind that reporters don’t leak. Government officials leak. These rules might create some tension among government employees who won’t want to be seen talking to a reporter in their office, in a hallway, or at lunch. But not among reporters.”
And, while the new policy may occasionally be effective, it could potentially do more harm that good, Plante warns.
“I suppose that it is possible that some conversations might not take place between Pentagon officials and reporters because of the new rules. But I’m not sure that is a good thing,” Plante says:
“This is a press corps that does a better job of reporting the real stories - life and death stories - if they are more well informed on matters of military affairs.”
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“Good reporting on the U.S. military matters in ways that reporting from other beats might not. The military is dealing in matters regarding the actual life and death of Americans every day. Not to mention the trillions of our tax dollars spent by the Pentagon over time.”
“The government employees that leak from the Pentagon, both military and civilian, tend to leak on matters that they see as important because there are billions of tax dollars at stake, or the lives of our sons and daughters are being jeopardized in foolish ways,” Plante says. “And that is why we allow reporters to wander the 17 and a half miles of corridors of the Pentagon. It’s a great American tradition.”
While “a lot of people in the media are certainly overreacting to the so-called ‘new rules,’” veteran Pentagon reporters won’t be stopped from doing their jobs, Plante says. “The Pentagon press corps includes reporters that have been there every day for more than 30 years. Their connections and their contacts will continue to be sources for them.”
What’s more, attention-seeking members of the fake news media who hate President Trump are the ones who are overreacting, Plante explains:
“But the little fake news media rebellion - with a high school walk-out and everything - gives some media types with severe Trump Derangement Syndrome an opportunity to play the victim. To be a martyr. Victimized by the big, bad Trump administration. Orange Man Bad.”
“Now get back to work, silly reporters, Plante tells the leftist media showboats.
