Russia Today Anchor Liz Wahl Resigns Live On-Air Over "Whitewashing" of Putin's Actions in Ukraine

Not sending her to Crimea

RT

TV journalist Liz Wahl resigned live on-air from Russia Today today, saying that she could not "be a part of a network funded by the Russian government that whitewashes the actions of Putin," that she was "proud to be an American and believe[s] in disseminating the truth." Wahl began her comments by referencing her colleague Abby Martin, who took time at the end of her show earlier this week to condemn Russian military intervention in Ukraine. Wahl explained that her personal background informed her decision: her grandparents fled from the Soviets during the Hungarian revolution, her father was a U.S. veteran, and her partner is a physician on a U.S. military base, where he sees "the ultimate prices that people pay for this country."

Watch Wahl's live on-air resignation below:

Comments

[paranoid android]

I heard that while this was going on, her boss sent a single, panicked message to the Kremlin:

“Mr. Putin, tear down Liz Wahl!”

[Paul.]

Man, that got nothin. You were robbed.

[MJGreen]

I echo Paul’s sentiment. This was funny.

[Otis B. Driftwood]

Third. Well done, sir.

[Fist of Etiquette]

This is my notice. I am resigning as lead reason commenter over the treatment of trolls in Hit & Run.

[Sudden]

We’ve been too kind?

[Episiarch]

Lead?!? You were a junior commenter at best. Your business card says “Senior Junior Commenter” for Christ’s sake!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Junior Senior, a-hole. (Note the comma.)

[Episiarch]

Junior Fister of Seniors’ Etiquette?

[jesse.in.mb]

Junior Senior?

[Dweebston]

You aren’t the lead commenter, you dolt. As the first among us to post you’re the lede commenter.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Tomato, tomato. (Pronounce that second tomato differently in your head.)

[Dweebston]

We wouldn’t abide by your tyrannical rule except for the h&r establishment. A truly representative message board wouldn’t enforce first-past-the-goalposting. We’d elect the posters deserve.

[Sudden]

I thought of lead commenter as in Atomic Element Pb.

[Sudden]

The severance package includes a nice polonium irradiated fruit basket.

[Dweebston]

+1 Silkwood

[Libertymike]

I Cher your opinion.

[Episiarch]

I have a feeling the management at RT has been really putting the propaganda screws to their journalists, and the journalists have had enough. Good for them. Too bad they have no counterparts at the US media outlets.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Reason is hiring a part time editor.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Temporary proofreader.

(Consider this comment my application, reason.)

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

You did use the comma correctly above.

[Sudden]

Your erroneous usage of an accent will rule you out of consideration for the Spanish-language Reason editor. No Reason.Mx for you

[Dweebston]

Not all Spanish speakers are Mexican, you ciscontinental shitlord.

[Hugh Akston]

I can’t imagine what it would be like to live in a country where the media puts a positive spin on everything its petty, thuggish autocratic chief executive does no matter how awful the act or transparent the lie.

[Sudden]

*slow clap*

[SusanM]

It’s good that you live in a country where a lot of a media more worried about ad revenues (NTTAWWT) than factual accuracy half-heartedly puts a positive spin on everything a petty, unqualified bungler of a chief executive does. There’s bad and then there’s worse.

Seriously, I get the joke but until Glen Beck accidentally hog-ties himself and shoots himself in the nape while shaving (a fate which has befallen many a Russian journalist critical of Putin) the comparison doesn’t work.

[Hugh Akston]

Actually the sicker joke is that RT does it for fear of their funding and their lives. What is they US media’s excuse?

[SusanM]

The need for web hits and ad revenue? I suppose you can say that maybe licensing and the threat of the fairness doctrine can be some sort of leverage but that doesn’t bother Fox News at all – and they’re also doing booming business selling ad time.

The point I wanted to make is that, yeah, there are plenty of sycophants in the press who should be more critical it’s not as bad as Russia or even Europe. We’ve still got brave dissenters and critics on the airwaves and online.

[Tony]

You don’t have to be remotely brave to dissent from the ruling party in this country. One thing the US has going for it is its press is extremely free. We have our share of propaganda but it’s all backed by private interests. Ironically, here in the more elderly democracies, the best news comes from government-backed outfits (BBC, PBS, NPR).

[Paul.]

Fear of funding and cocktail party invites.

[paranoid android]

Seriously, I get the joke but until Glen Beck accidentally hog-ties himself and shoots himself in the nape while shaving (a fate which has befallen many a Russian journalist critical of Putin) the comparison doesn’t work.

Or if, say, his car were to suddenly burst into flames and explode with him inside for reasons that are never adequately explained…

[Corning]

It’s good that you live in a country where a lot of a media more worried about ad revenues

If MSNBC started being honest they would lose half their audience and the ad revenue along with them.

[Raven Nation]

Safer to resign too: last I read, Martin’s getting an all-expense paid trip to the Crimea.

[Sevo]

Bet she doesn’t get on the plane when she finds out it’s one-way.

[Sudden]

In years past, she would get an even more exotic trip to Siberia.

[Number 7]

obligatory TIWTANLW post- I’d hit it.

[Corning]

This is why there are no former journalist who burned their bridges over the foreign policy of Russia libertarians

[Corning]

….

and yes i agree she is super cute.

[Dweebston]

This is the utterly brazen sense for self-promotional grandstanding that keeps me out of the public eye.

Well, that and having a personality better suited to print media and a face to match.

[Corning]

Dead pool on where she goes from here.

My money is fox news with a hedge at the Blaze.

[Sevo]

You think FOX wants ‘independent’ news-readers?

[Corning]

You are horrible at dead pooling.

[General Butt Naked]

Anyone else think that partner should be reserved for people you’re in business with? Kinda creeps me out when used to describe a significant other.

I understand the impulse, as someone who’s been in a relationship for almost a decade. You wanna make it known that the person who you’re with, but who isn’t your spouse is someone your super serial about and not some fly-by-night girl/boyfriend.

[db]

I still use “girlfriend” but after 16+ years with Dr. Girlfriend, it doesn’t quite get across the commitment when I’m talking to people who don’t know us.

[Paul.]

There’s no piece of paper in a state filing cabinet affirming your love for her? How can this relationship go on?

[Warty]

There are all sorts of perfectly good words you can use in this situation. You can call her your common-law wife, houseguest, woman, broad, permafloozy, salt wife, etc.

[SweatingGin]

“Captive”, “sugar momma”, “sponge”

I like permafloozy, though.

[jesse.in.mb]

I’ve seen sidekick used a few times.

[Corning]

Kinda creeps me out when used to describe a significant other.

The exact opposite for me.

thinking there is no exchange going on and therefor removing the importance of trust loyalty and fidelity seems naive and doomed to me.

[Sevo]

S-O works just fine around here.

[Rhywun]

someone your super serial about

Interesting slip… I hope.

[Pro Libertate]

Mr. Prostitute worked for James Mason.

[Libertymike]

That boy from Brazil was always sleazy.

[Ted S.]

As always, the Germans have a word for it: Lebensgef?hrte. (Or Lebensgef?hrtin for a woman.)

[db]

Nice. Would that a few presenters and anchors for US based outlets that repeat, verbatim and uncritically, the press releases handed to them by whatever administration happens to be in office.

[Robert]

No predicate?

[db]

Those of us who want to be reason proofreaders.

[Warty]

Is this what it looks like when a journalist has a set of balls (well…or something)? I never thought I’d see it with my own eyes.

[Pro Libertate]

Consider this: Sam Clemens, among other things, was a reporter.

[Warty]

Wasn’t he racist or something?

[Pro Libertate]

Yes, and he fought for the South in the Civil War. He gets away with a lot because the titles of his books get changed to protect him. Like White Boy and His Nigger on a Raft. What an awful, awful man.

[SusanM]

Eh, he was a product of his times not ours. I can accept that his description of Jim was just an honest presentation of how he understood blacks at the time.

And, part of his genius was showing people at their worst and letting his readers figure it out.

[Pro Libertate]

I forget that not everyone knows how big a Twain fan I am. He was no racist, and Jim was a noble character. Huck deciding to be “immoral” to become Jim’s friend is a huge statement about race.

[Pro Libertate]

I’m re-reading Innocents Abroad, which I recommend, if you haven’t read it. His travel books are entertaining.

[Warty]

Wasn’t he racist or something?

[Pro Libertate]

No, you’re thinking of Mencken.

[Robert]

Better to keep such people on the inside than for them to quit. Never quit; make them fire you if necessary, but even better be sneaky & subversive. Sincerity is overvalued.

[Lyle]

Saw Reason is no longer going to go on RT? Reason going to demand Edward Snowden leave his savior in Russia?

[Lyle]

so, i have no idea how i typed saw. jesus.

[Big Chief]

And your reason proofreader hopes, well let’s just say that train has sailed…

[Paul.]

Hopefully we won’t hear that joke again.

[Big Chief]

And your reason proofreader hopes, well let’s just say that train has sailed…

[Jon Lester]

Well, RT always did model itself after Fox News, and then take it to another level, in terms of style, almost like if The Daily Caller had a TV channel. You have to balance its reporting against other sources, the same as you would with al-Jazeera or even the BBC.

[Jon Lester]

That’s why today, in a related thread, I followed a comment linking RT’s account of the Ashton-Paet phone call with the Estonian Foreign Ministry and the Moon of Alabama blog.