Ed Martin Lies to Reporters

Whenever I've been at a media training for activism, or politics, or whatever, the very first rule they convey is NEVER EVER EVER LIE TO THE MEDIA. EVER. Since reporters often convey first-hand information about events or conversations, their jobs depend 100% on their credibility. The value of established media outlets depends on the public's trust that they are conveying accurate information (even if people bicker about how the information is spun). So if you deliberately provide false information to a reporter, and that reporter then publishes the false information, you have directly harmed the viability of the reporter. You have undermined the very foundation of their job. And the reporter, as someone who depends on the honesty and accuracy of their sources, should never again trust someone who deliberately tried to get them to publish false information.

Apparently, though, Ed Martin never had a media training, or simply doesn't care if he burns reporters. Martin sent out a press release yesterday falsely claiming that he had "lined up" debates in August with Congressman Carnahan. Suspiciously, Martin claimed that the debates would be moderated by Martin Duggan, someone who had endorsed Martin a long time ago. But Martin nevertheless claimed:

The debates between congressional candidate Ed Martin and Congressman Carnahan will take place the following three Tuesdays in August – 17, 24, 31. The moderator will be Martin Duggan a long-time local journalist and former host of Donnybrook.

There was no ambiguity there; no, "if Representative Carnahan agrees." Martin was claiming that the debates had been set. And, as it turns out, that is an outright lie. Carnahan proposed September debates before the primaries were even over, and NEVER agreed to the August debates. Yet Ed Martin sent out a press release trying to get the media to publish false information that the debates had been set. And Martin can't simply blame this on his press secretary, since he personally tweeted about it:



So Ed Martin knowingly sent out false information to reporters, hoping that they would publish the false information which would in turn put pressure on Carnahan to accept. He was willing to destroy their credibility as a means for pushing his campaign. Fortunately, no journalists took the bait. Dana Loesch of course reported Martin's claim verbatim, but she lies on a daily basis and has no credibility anyway, so no harm done there. But it really is shocking that Martin would so blatantly and so brazenly lie to journalists. And it would be even more shocking, IMO, if he didn't suffer some negative consequences for such a clear slap in the face.