The Newsroom Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Martin Stallworth
Martin Smallworth
Status: Alive
Birthplace: United States of America
Nationality: Flag of the United States American
Affiliation: News Night
Profession: Booker
Played by: Thomas Matthews
Season: 1, 2
Episodes: 11 appearances
First episode: "We Just Decided To"
Last episode: "Election Night, Part II"

Martin Stallworth is a booker on News Night.

Biography[]

News Night[]

Loyalty[]

Martin is one of the staff members who chose to remain with anchor Will McAvoy after his rant at Northwestern University. ("We Just Decided To")

News Night 2.0[]

Unhappy with the way ACN and News Night was covering the news, new Executive Producer Mackenzie MacHale proposed "News Night 2.0", a complete overhaul of the way the news was covered based on three "I"s: 1) Is this information we need in the voting booth? 2) Is this the best possible form of the argument? 3) Is the story in historical context?

The first effort to follow the new template goes awry when a major guest backs out of the program. Senior Producer Jim Harper calls an emergency meeting to find a replacement guest for the show. Unable to find a suitable replacement they get three highly unqualified guests for that evening's broadcast. Everyone is afraid to tell Will for fear of being fired. Mac again tries to defend Will and convince everyone that he's a good man. Frustrated she sends an email asking Will if she can reveal to everyone that she cheated on him. However, due to the new email system she sends it to the entire staff. Will is furious and then apoplectic when he finds out about the night's replacement guests. The broadcast is predictably calamitous and the mistakes are compounded by Will refusing to listen to Mac's instructions during the show.

The staff licks their wounds at Hang Chews karaoke bar after the broadcast. Jim reprimands the staff for their failings. ("News Night 2.0")

On air apology[]

Following the disastrous broadcast Will issued an on air apology for his failings as Managing Editor of News Night. He pledged to do better in reporting the news to inform the electorate. The apology aired at the opening of the show on Monday, April 26, 2010 and helped bring the staff closer together. This was followed by improved coverage of the Times Square Bombing Attempt in May 2010. ("The 112th Congress")

The 112th Congress elections[]

News Night focuses a portion of its coverage on the Tea Party and their views, funding and co-opting of the Republican Party. The incisive coverage culminates with a live broadcast in November 2010 on the day of the 112th Congressional elections where the Tea Party win many seats. ("The 112th Congress")

End of 2010[]

Martin attends the News Night New Year's Eve party on December 31, 2010. The staff meet the next day to discuss stories they may have missed in 2010. They decide to pursue stories about misrepresentation; particularly of both The President's gun control record and his diplomatic trip to India. Neal's suggested Bigfoot story is shot down. ("I'll Try to Fix You")

Gabrielle Giffords shooting[]

On Saturday January 8, 2011 Neal assembles the staff to pitch his Bigfoot story again. Maggie and Jim argue in front of the staff over Jim's lie about continuing to date her room mate Lisa Lambert. Jim punishes Maggie's insubordination by putting her on the assignment desk for the day.

Maggie breaks up the meeting to announce the shooting of Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Martin helps to report the story. During the show's coverage, a false report spreads on Fox, CNN and MSNBC that the Congresswoman is dead. Reese Lansing charges into the studio to convince Will to report her death but Will refuses. Moments later reports that she is alive and in surgery are confirmed. ("I'll Try to Fix You")

February 2011[]

News Night covers civil unrest in Cairo after the Egyption president refuses to leave his post despite losing the election. Elliot Hirsch travels to Cairo to report from the scene but is forced to remain inside when riots break out. Elliot eventually tries to get footage outside but is attacked and injured. He returns to the US and News Night recruits "Amen" as a stringer to get footage of the riots. Amen performs well but then disappears. The staff discover that he has been taken into custody by the military, who are demanding an extortionate ransom. Will pays for Amen's release. Mac arranges for the staff to each give Will a cheque to contribute, mimicking a scene from one of Will's favorite films, Rudy. ("Amen")

April 2011[]

News Night covers the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, Rick Santorum's public anti-homosexuality, and the proposed building of a Muslim community center at Ground Zero in New York. Will receives a death threat after the Ground Zero piece and is assigned a body guard, Lonny Church. Sloan announces information she obtained off the record during the Fukushima coverage and is reprimanded but ultimately allowed to publicly apologize. ("Bullies")

September 2011[]

Over the course of one of the News Night broadcasts, Martin fields a call from a Syrian woman named Samira Koury who claims to be staying at the W Hotel in New York while her husband lies under the rubble of a government building in Damascas that had been bombed by rebels minutes earlier. Working together with Jim, he distracts the Kourys while Jim and Neal unblock and trace the phone numbers to an apartment in New York, where they have the NYPD arrive and place them under arrest for fraud. ("News Night with Will McAvoy")

Behind the scenes[]

Martin is a recurring character in the first season. He is played by co-star Thomas Matthews and debuts in the series pilot "We Just Decided To".

Appearances[]

Season 1
"We Just Decided To" "News Night 2.0" "The 112th Congress" "I'll Try to Fix You" "Amen"
"Bullies" "5/1" "The Blackout Part I: Tragedy Porn" "The Blackout Part II: Mock Debate" "The Greater Fool"
Season 2
"First Thing We Do, Let’s Kill All the Lawyers" "The Genoa Tip" "Willie Pete" "Unintended Consequences" "News Night with Will McAvoy"
"One Step Too Many" "Red Team III" "Election Night, Part I" "Election Night, Part II"
Advertisement