Politico’s Martin defends use of unnamed sources: ‘If you don’t want to read Politico, that’s fine’

The Daily Caller ^ | 8/19/2012 | Jeff Poor

[middlegeorgian]

“We were candid about the sourcing on that, as you mentioned, Howie, and basically say to our readers, ‘Look, folks don’t want to put their names [on] the charges,’” Martin said. “If you don’t want to read Politico, that’s fine. But that is a conversation happening in the political community. We as reporter want to capture that conversation. The challenge for us is trying to do so in a way that you can get it in print, but you respect people who don’t want to have their names used, it’s a question of do you not report what’s happening right now in the political operative community or do it in a way that you have to do a lot of blind quotes? We choose the chose the latter, because it’s such a hot issue going on right now.”

[Bratch]

Thanks, but I don't need permission not to read Politico.

[Lazamataz]

Politico’s Martin defends use of unnamed sources: ‘If you don’t want to read Politico, that’s fine’

Compliance is not an issue, you lame-ass no-source rumor-quoting fact-free Obama-worshiping hack.

[Lurker]

“I give myself permission to make sh** up.” would have saved a lot of this waste of skin’s breath.

[allendale]

The left wing Washington Post destroyed a Republican administration and changed history using an unnamed source. The Left is not going to drop this play from its playbook anytime soon. The Left has never been constrained by “bourgeois’ ethics.

[Godwin1]

These sources don’t exist. They simply fabricate quotes that support their agenda. Journalism is dead.

[upchuck]

If the journolists had any gumption, they’d refuse to print unsourced stories. That might hurt for a while but they’d be money ahead in the long run. And gain a bunch of respect in the process.

[dalereed]

Don’t post their crap here and no one has to be aware of it!

Maybe you ought to go there and not come back!

[middlegeorgian]

The story is linked to The Daily Caller, the same website that exposed these journOlisters. I’ve never posted anything linking to Politico.

[freekitty]

Don’t know who Politico is and no I don’t want to read them.

[freekitty]

All you have to know is these people don’t think like rest of us.

[Baynative]

Politico is the new definition of the ultimate dream when it comes to liberal journalism. The creators who came from WaPo have always wanted to make up their own version of the news and even their own news that they could print as if it were real.

[ronnie raygun]

Meaning.............We can lie and make up sh##

[Diogenesis]

This is Martin's M.O. at Politico.

Whenever Team Romney had rumors they wanted to start about other candidates,
Jonathan Martin has been their go-to guy to get those rumors in writing in front of a national audience.

“And The Most Irresponsible Journalist Award Goes to The Politico’s Jonathan Martin!
So tell me, how do you write a “news” story about an organization paying for a speaker when you don’t even know if the organization is paying for the speaker?
Ask “journalist” Jonathan Martin. He knows all about it.
You see, Jonny wrote a piss poor story the other day about how the Iowa Family Policy Center will be paying a large speaker fee if Sarah Palin comes to Iowa to keynote the IFPC’s fall funderaiser.
The only problem is that Jonny has no sources confirming that any exorbitant fee is being charged or paid.
Jonny also got some inside info from David Kochel, who was a top aide to former (and future) presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.
Hey Dave, didn’t I just read a story about how Mitt Romney tried to buy off the Iowa Christian Alliance?
I heard you helped facilitate that little scheme. And somehow you are shocked at the thought of a well-known political figure (who very likely isn’t running for president) getting paid a speaker’s fee for (gasp) a public speaking appearance? ..
and then we’ve got Tim Albrecht quoted. He was the Iowa spokesman for Romney’s 2008 caucus campaign.”
And it always seemed like, whenever the Romney people had rumors they wanted to start about other candidates,
Jonny was their go-to guy to get those rumors in writing in front of a national audience.

[StAnDeliver]

"Compliance is not an issue, you lame-ass no-source rumor-quoting fact-free Obama-worshiping hack."

Martin knows that the proliferation of nattering Beltway nabobs means you can get an anonymous quote to emphasize exactly however you plan to skew your story. It's calculated mendacity in the guise of the 1st Amendment.