Mattis upends press travel tradition, unnerving some reporters

Not too long ago, the privilege of traveling with the defense secretary was the province of the elite Pentagon press corps, a close-knit cadre of beat reporters who cover national security for a living and often have government-provided work space just a short walk and one floor away from the secretary’s office.

But Jim Mattis has proven to be an unconventional Pentagon chief in his dealings with the news media, eschewing customary televised briefings in favor of random informal hallway chats, and rejecting the idea that all the major wire services should accompany him on every trip he takes.