SecDef Mattis Did a Really Cool Thing for a High School Student. Vox Is Upset He Didn't Go to...

The best journalists I ever read didn't have college degrees. In fact, many of them never finished high school. They learned on the job. Mark Twain. H. L. Mencken.

"“The most erroneous assumption is to the effect that the aim of public education is to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence, and so make them fit to discharge the duties of citizenship in an enlightened and independent manner. Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all; it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States, whatever the pretensions of politicians, pedagogues and other such mountebanks, and that is its aim everywhere else.” -- H. L. Mencken

In fact, if Mencken were alive today, he would have ample evidence of his theory in that American colleges and universities have elevated indoctrination to an art form. This indoctrination is what prevents them from being good or even fair journalists. They approach every event expecting what they are going to see and hear and that is what they report rather than the facts.

I think it was great that situationally aware student journalist Teddy Fischer noticed Secretary of Defense James Mattis's personal phone number in a picture that The Washington Post published by accident, and he called to ask for an interview and he managed to get a one with Mattis.
I think it is wonderful that Secretary of Defense James Mattis took the time to let Teddy Fischer interview him.SGT Eric Knutson
The interview was widely spread, and Teddy received much praise for asking substantial questions.

Personally I could not care less about what the editorial staff at VOX thinks.

I think he granted the interview because he respected the DIRECT approach and the moxy of the kid making the phone call. Once upon a time I saw a GM Security guard approach a VP of GM for a job as a Economist intern........after the brief in person interview, the next week the guy was elevated to an Economist intern. Sometimes all it takes is to contact the right people directly and cut out the BS in between.