“Dead” journalist is alive: Al Tompkins ponders the credibility impact of a Ukrainian ruse to nab a contract killer by saying a reporter was killed.

“Generally, journalists should not be part of a government deception plot,” writes Tompkins. “Generally, journalists should not be part of something that will produce untrue global coverage.”

Everyone who published or broadcast the false information has a stake in knowing the decisions that led to creating a fake news story, he adds.