JOURNALISM 101

Washington Post Slams Tulsi Gabbard’s ‘Fundamental Misunderstanding’ of How Media Works

The Trump appointee accused a Post reporter of “harassing” her staffers.

The Washington Post rejected an “unfounded” claim by Tulsi Gabbard that one of the paper’s reporters was “harassing” the Director of National Intelligence’s staffers.

Gabbard had posted earlier Thursday on X that national security reporter Ellen Nakashima “appears to be actively harassing ODNI staff.” Gabbard added: ”Instead of reaching out to my press office, she is calling high-level Intelligence Officers from a burner phone, refusing to identify herself, lying about the fact that she works for the Washington Post, and then demanding they share sensitive information."

Gabbard insisted that what was happening was “a clear political op by the same outlet and the same reporter who harassed and stalked my family in Hawaii.”

The Post’s executive editor, Matt Murray, dismissed Gabbard’s allegations.

“Reaching out to potential sources rather than relying solely on official government press statements regarding matters of public interest is neither nefarious nor is it harassment. It is basic journalism,” Murray explained.

“DNI Gabbard’s unfounded personal attack reflects a fundamental misunderstanding about the role of journalists to report on government officials and hold power to account, without fear or favor and regardless of party,” he continued. “The Post remains committed to that vital and constitutionally protected work.”

Gabbard’s post hinted at the potential nature of Nakashima’s inquiries.

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“Apparently, publishing leaked classified material wasn’t enough for the Washington Post, so now they’ve decided to go after the Intelligence professionals charged to protect it,” Gabbard wrote, an apparent reference to the paper’s coverage of an early Pentagon assessment of damage to Iranian nuclear sites.

Reporting on that subject by other outlets like CNN and The New York Times drew furious complaints from many in the Trump administration, with the president baselessly threatening prosecution. Each outlet firmly supported its reporting and defended its legality.

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Attacks on the press through lawsuits and the threat of them since Trump returned to The White House have been rampant.

Even the conservative-leaning Wall Street Journal editorial board condemned Trump for them, writing Wednesday—after Paramount agreed to a $16 million settlement with Trump over what many experts dubbed a meritless lawsuit—that “using the government to intimidate news outlets that publish stories he doesn’t like” was a “low move.”

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