News item: Matt Harvey and the Mets will arrive at a "mutual decision, likely within a week or so," the New York Daily News reported, as to whether Harvey will rehab from Tommy John surgery in New York around his teammates or in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

This was a cause celebre in New York earlier this week. Harvey attempted a one-on-one interview with Andy Martino of the Daily News, making his case for why he should stay in the city. The residual effect, however, reiterated how Big Brother is bigger than ever now in sports, the erstwhile toy department turned Stalag 13.

"In the morning," Martino wrote in a subsequent piece on the day's melodrama, "Harvey was under the impression that he was not allowed to grant one-on-one interviews (that perception shifted somewhat later in the day, but we'll get to that), but he decided to talk anyway."

Think about this for a minute. A 24-year-old adult who can start the All-Star game and throw the baseball 100 miles per hour is not allowed to grant one-on-one interviews, as if this were Russia, 1950.

And somewhere, our framers must be looking down, swilling vodka, lamenting, "all that work and this is how those dopes have evolved?"

Martino and Harvey spoke about Harvey's desire to stay with the team, learn the league and bond with new catcher Travis d'Arnaud, as well as the other pitchers. Harvey wasn't thrilled about a potential extended stint in Port St. Lucie, the land that God forgot.

"About seven minutes into our conversation, Harvey and I noticed Mets PR man Jay Horwitz standing in front of us, glaring," Martino wrote.

Martino recounted the details:

"He's alright, Jay," Harvey said. "Jay, he's alright."

"What?" Martino said to Horwitz.

"I'll talk to you later," Horwitz said to Martino.

"OK," Martino said, but Horwitz did not move.

"He's good, Jay," Harvey said again. "He's good. If somebody at the top needs to talk, I'll talk to him."

"You're causing me some problems," Horwitz said to Martino. "Are you writing something?"

"Jay," Harvey said. "If somebody needs to talk to the Players' Association, I have a right to have him writing about me."

"Not wanting to make the situation any more awkward for Harvey," Martino wrote, "I turned off my recorder and wrapped up the conversation."

Once again: Consider that in 2014, this conversation actually happened. We're talking about a rehab stint. Not international espionage.

Some age of information.

And there's no outrage, not even from all the big, bad blatherers in the big, bad city. They all but vomited their theories about how bonding with his teammates was a smokescreen for Harvey's desire to avoid Port St. Lucie at all costs.

But when the time came for the self-important to defend the most fundamental position of all — the free exchange of ideas — only everything upon which our livelihoods are founded, we heard crickets. Their benign neglect allows the Mets to channel their inner Orwell. And get away with it.

Later in the day, Martino wrote, general manager Sandy Alderson discussed with Martino whether "there was a team-imposed rule against sharing his thoughts with the public."

Alderson: "My recommendation is to manage doing interviews in a way that doesn't interfere with his day-to-day-activities."

Who knew Harvey, with more time on his hands now than inmates at Sing Sing, would ever be that busy?

Martino later asked if the team's official position is to discourage Harvey from conducting one-one-one interviews. Alderson said his preference is for Harvey "to speak only to a larger group in order to save time, but 'it's up to him to manage.'"

If only Alderson's outfielders could backtrack on fly balls as well as he did here.

This is not new practice for the Mets. Hell, even little old me tried to write a piece about Harvey once and attempted to talk to his old friend Bryan Rodgers from Fitch. Rodgers told me apologetically that I had to get the Mets' approval before he could speak.

Somewhere the KGB should be taking notes.

And why do the Mets (and other teams) act this way? Because they can. All franchises can. Colleges, too. Because the media allows it. The media isn't strong enough or tough enough to act as the fans do when they've had enough: stay away.

Has anyone else ever considered this premise? If the fans can stay away when they're irritated, why can't the media?

Seriously. If I run a New York newspaper and my guys aren't allowed to speak with Met players one on one and build relationships without Big Brother watching, I'd yank my coverage. I'd beg everyone else to do the same.

Until one day, the Mets realized they're off the back page, or at least some of them, until their methods change.

I'll let you know the next time I talk to Harvey. Maybe the room won't be bugged.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.