seoul u.s. secretary state rex tillerson fly asia accompany one journalist aircraft reporter website found former republican political operatives departure decades practice tillerson become top u.s. diplomat republican president donald trump february travel mexico germany last month small contingent journalists include pool reporter inform colleagues tillerson statements action journalist tillerson plane arrive tokyo wednesday erin mcpike independent journal review ijr act pool reporter state department act spokesman mark toner say statement one seat available tillerson plane media department previously tell reporters cover tillerson trip south korea japan china would take reporters plane would fly commercially break decades precedent stretch back henry kissinger decide take journalist outlet normally travel secretary state part effort include broad representation u.s. media toner say also make every effort include contingent media secretary plane go forward state department originally say tillerson could accommodate usual contingent reporters space constraints also say decision travel without reporters intend cut cost news organizations pay u.s. government cost travel journalists report tillerson land tokyo wednesday even travel commercial flight depend number staff tillerson choose take asia boeing 737 travel could likely accommodate one reporter conservative-leaning ijr say statement late tuesday state department last week offer seat tillerson plane mcpike white house correspondent ijr previously report cnn real clear politics nbc news national journal accord ijr website join february also briefly part team cover 2016 election campaign reuters take opportunity lightly recognize controversy surround press access trip ijr founder chief executive alex skatell say statement 2014 skatell tell new york time want start site observe gap reach mainstream center-right audience state department correspondents association say statement disappoint tillerson choose travel asia without full contingent media even pool reporter call access tillerson equal give reporter plane trip asia tillerson former chief executive exxon mobil oil company face tough first trip asia seek reassure nervous ally face north korea grow nuclear missile threat press china perhaps serious security challenge confront trump decades secretaries state nearly always invite media travel rare case particularly late secretary tenure news outlets decline former secretary john kerry december 2016 trip saudi arabia republican secretaries state alexander haig george shultz jam baker condoleezza rice routinely take 10 journalists overseas trip even war zone found ijr skatell work national republican senatorial committee republican governors association accord linkedin profile another founder phil musser executive director republican governors association work department house urban development administration george w. bush conservative website media tillerson plane asia