In media news, two anchors with Russia’s state-owned U.S. news network, RT, have spoken out against Russian policy in Ukraine on air. On Wednesday, RT anchor Liz Wahl resigned during a live broadcast to protest what she called the network’s biased coverage in favor of the Russian government.
Liz Wahl: “Personally, I cannot be part of a network funded by the Russian government that whitewashes the actions of [Vladimir] Putin. I’m proud to be an American and believe in disseminating the truth, and that is why, after this newscast, I’m resigning.”
RT has dismissed Wahl’s action as a show of “self-promotion.” The resignation came days after another RT anchor, Abby Martin, also spoke out on air, calling the invasion of Crimea an act of “military aggression.” In an interview with CNN, Martin told CNN anchor Piers Morgan that RT has acted no differently than the U.S. corporate media did in cheerleading for the Iraq War.
Abby Martin: “Piers, no different than every other corporate media station. I mean, we’re talking about six corporations that control 90 percent of what Americans see, hear and read; the lead-up to the Iraq War, parroting exactly what the establishment said. I mean, you could reflect the exact same criticism on all the corporate media channels. So, you know, I can only speak for my show. I stayed true to my moral compass. But RT toes a perspective of the Russian foreign policy, just as the entire corporate media apparatus toes the perspective of the U.S. establishment.”