FCW has followed the travails of the Defense Travel System for years. The latest story, Senate threatens to cut DTS funding describes a hearing where Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) said he plans to introduce legislation to kill the travel portion of the system, leaving the backend accounting system intact. The article covers evaluations of DTS and various ways the program has been funded. The Federal Times version carries more of the discussion between Sen. Coleman and David Chu, undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness, who explained how and why DTS was falling short of expectations.
But take a look at the AP version of the same hearing: It Sounded Like A Good Idea... The author has written a sensational lead that totally biases readers:
The Pentagon that gave taxpayers a $434 hammer and a $600 toilet seat cover now has a half-billion-dollar travel booking system that is bypassed by more than eight in 10 users.
The general population reads something like that and thinks, "I agree, another huge waste of money by DOD," and they move on. They don’t get the part about department-wide travel management controls, about projects with evolving expectations and technologies. They think that if grandma can book a cheap flight on Travelocity or Expedia, then why can’t DOD do the same?
I’m not saying that DTS is without significant problems, but I really take issue with categorizations and sound bytes that distill complex problems into one-sentence proclamations. It’s dishonest and it promotes intellectual laziness.
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