Russia Today America has called anchor Liz Wahl's dramatic resignation a "self-promotional stunt".
Liz Wahl, an anchor for the network's Washington DC burea, quit live on air earlier today. Wahl said she "cannot be part of a station funded by the Russian government that whitewashes the action of Putin", and said that, as a proud American, she believes in "disseminating the truth". She was the second RT America to speak out against Putin in as many days.
The network has reacted swiftly with a spectacularly passive agressive statement on their website, essentially reminding Wahl not to let the door make contact with her backside as she departs.
The statement reads as follows:
"Wahl's resignation comes on the heels of her colleague Abby Martin's recent comments in which she voiced her disagreement with certain policies of the Russian government and asserted her editorial independence.
"The difference is, Ms. Martin spoke in the context of her own talk show, to the viewers who have been tuning in for years to hear her opinions on current events – the opinions that most media did not care about until two days ago. For years, Ms. Martin has been speaking out against US military intervention, only to be ignored by the mainstream news outlets – but with that one comment, branded as an act of defiance, she became an overnight sensation. It is a tempting example to follow.
"When a journalist disagrees with the editorial position of his or her organization, the usual course of action is to address those grievances with the editor, and, if they cannot be resolved, to quit like a professional. But when someone makes a big public show of a personal decision, it is nothing more than a self-promotional stunt.
"We wish Liz the best of luck on her chosen path."
One thing's for sure — whether Wahl was aiming to promote herself or not, she's a hot commodity with US networks now.
