During a live broadcast on Wednesday, RT America presenter Liz Wahl announced she was stepping down, citing her disagreements with the network’s editorial policy. RT issued a statement following her resignation.
Read about Abby Martin, Liz Wahl and media
wars
Ms. 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.
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