A recent discussion featuring leading government IT journalists from Federal News Network, Breaking Defense, Space News and GovExec provided an in-depth look into their perspectives on the current state of federal technology, procurement and media relations – and what they expect to be covering in 2026. A few highlights:
Notably, with all of the talk about curbing “waste, fraud and abuse”, and a newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with a goal of cutting $200 billion, the government actually reached an all-time contract spending record in 2025. In Q4 alone, IT spend approached $50 billion.
There was considerable discussion around the shift from 2025’s AI hype cycle to a 2026 focus on a tangible return on government AI investment. After huge staff reductions at federal agencies last year, there is a government expectation that agentic AI should provide a solution to get more things done with less staff. The panelists emphasized that AI quality is currently hampered by bad or untagged data, and the focus needs to shift towards data quality and management over volume.
While the true impact of AI remains to be seen, the panelists did note a few promising signs:
- The Defense Logistics Agency saved about 300,000 man-hours by using agentic AI for tasks like automated purchasing management
- One month after launch, one-third of the entire DOD workforce logged into genai.mil – although it’s unclear how it’s being used
- Army Material Command used generative AI to turn presidential drawdown orders for Ukraine into actionable lists, overcoming limitations of PDF formatting
With large-scale AI deployments needing massive commercial cloud infrastructure, the government is moving away from the traditional systems integrator model towards hyperscaler providers like Microsoft, Google and AWS.
Procurement Shifts
The journalists also discussed changes to how the government buys technology. Notably, the administration is prioritizing outcome-based contracting and rewriting the Federal Acquisition Regulations to procure technology at the speed of the commercial market. However, panelists noted the lack of clear policy direction from the Office of Management and Budget, and of course the continuing saga of a national budget, government shutdowns and Continuing Resolutions (CRs) as inhibitors to efficient IT procurement.
The proposed Golden Dome missile defense program will be the biggest defense procurement in decades. There are now over 2,000 participating companies, so editors noted that simply being an awardee is no longer “news”. Additionally, the Space Force is expanding its focus to cislunar threats, including potential international races for lunar resources like helium-3.
In other space-related news, the administration’s proposed NASA budget cuts were some of the largest since 1961, including a potential reduction of one-third of the agency’s workforce. Congress didn’t like this and overrode the administration to allocate the biggest NASA budget in three decades into the proposed budget.
Cybersecurity and Zero Trust are still top priorities, with security spending expected to increase by 15% year-over-year. The focus is moving toward automated, AI-driven defense that can detect anomalous behavior at speeds humans can’t.
Editorial Guidance for Industry
While many companies try to push veiled advertisements as “news”, the editors offered specific advice for seeking media coverage in 2026.
They are exhausted by generic AI hype, and want stories about real people in real agencies who actually used a product to solve a specific mission problem. Companies should provide data, not pitch decks. Journalists are looking for metrics, ROI amounts or real analysis of why an agency’s AI implementation worked or failed.
Domain expertise is critical. For example, in defense, vendors should prove how their solutions work in edge environments where mobility, SWAP-C (size, weight and power – and cost) and iron-clad security are essential. When discussing their technology and market domain, it’s best for companies to provide access to their subject matter experts that can speak to solving real customer problems and driving beneficial outcomes, rather than putting forward sales or marketing staff.
2025 was an unprecedented year for the government and in turn for government IT media. 2026 is already bringing more of the same. Staying on top of the news cycle and earning a place in it requires commitment, engagement and real thought leadership.
You’re invited to recognize and celebrate the journalists that cover the ever-changing, complex and fast-paced U.S. Public Sector at the newly created Echo Awards coming up in June!