If you’ve seen the Fox TV show “24,” you know Jack Bauer, a member of the Counter Terrorist Unit working with the FBI to help prevent major terrorist attacks on the United States, saving both civilian lives and government administrations.
But don’t believe everything you see out of Hollywood, warns Christopher Garver, the deputy director of press operations for the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
NPF’s Paul Miller fellows learned that about 5% of what is seen on TV and in movies has the Defense Department’s support. While the DoD public affairs team has liaisons that work directly with the entertainment industry, for those working with journalists, “public affairs most important job is to keep us from getting something wrong,” said Lolita Baldor, a veteran national security reporter for the Associated Press.
Another resource? “We turn to the trades all the time – [they] know the nitty gritty,” Baldor said.
About half of the roughly 100 reporters who say they cover the Pentagon work for trade publications, estimates Aaron Mehta, editor-in-chief of Breaking Defense, whose audience targets military, political and industry decision-makers. Others include DefenceTalk, The National Interest and DefenseNews.
When it comes to sourcing stories, Mehta advised journalists to work around the edges if they’re struggling to get a response.
“It’s a collection of mini forces – if Navy isn’t answering, go to Army,” he said.
He also said to look at connections outside of DoD.
“Other agencies want attention because they want a budget,” Mehta said, (the Pentagon’s budget far exceeds others), so consider adjacent sources in industry, foreign embassies and Congress.
Baldor recommends going on trips, including unilateral trips, for instance to Fort Bragg, as a way to connect with sources.
“You get to know people as majors,” and they climb the ranks, becoming valuable sources as their experience and yours grow, she said.
When covering the Department of Defense, use the Deputy Assistants of the Secretary of Defense (DASDs) as resources. These experts are specialized, such as Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, space policy and more, and will be able to answer specific questions.
Another major challenge of covering military operations is weighing the issue of national security vs. the public’s right to know.
Baldor recalled a time when she discovered that some Americans were being held in a foreign country. The Defense Department said reporting on it would impact its ability to negotiate for their release. Baldor’s Washington bureau chief agreed that it was a safety issue. While the story held, Baldor did as much background reporting as she could so that once the Americans were released, she got the story first with the most information.
Breaking news is no small feat in a building that hosts up to 20,000 people in a day. The press area includes about 40 desks for print/digital reporters, six small studios for television and four radio booths, said Garver. The journalists are allowed to roam, but not wait outside of meeting rooms the way reporters on Capitol Hill do.
NPF is solely responsible for the content. The Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship is accepting applications for 2023.
