News anchor Liz Wahl quit her job at news outlet Russia Today (RT) on air Wednesday afternoon, expressing her outrage at the recent actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

News Anchor, Liz Wahl, Quits Her Job Mid Broadcast

Wahl accuses Russia Today, a news outlet funded by the Kremlin, of censoring and distorting the news to make Russia appear reasonable and the United States appear as villains. As a journalist, Wahl says she could not continue reporting falsehoods.

In her on-air resignation, Wahl mentioned she was inspired by her co-worker, Abby Martin, who spoke out against Russia’s decision to intervene in Crimea before telling viewers about her family history as Hungarian immigrants.

“Indeed as a reporter on this network, I face many moral and ethical challenges,” Wahl began.

“Personally I cannot be part of a network funded by the Russian government that whitewashes the actions of Putin. I’m proud to be an American and believe in disseminating the truth and that is why, after this newscast, I am resigning,” Wahl said.

“I morally, ethically feel like I cannot be part of this network and I feel like the American people should know what this network is about,” Wahl said in an interview with MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell following her resignation.

Russia Today released a statement about Wahl’s on-air resignation, calling Wahl’s actions a publicity stunt.

“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,” reads the statement.

Abby Martin Likens Cable News To 'Russia Today'

It is worth noting that Martin, the reporter who first spoke out against Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, has not resigned nor has she expressed plans to do so. Furthermore, RT commented in their statement that Martin’s opinion was in keeping with her stance on military intervention and has been blown out of proportion as a rogue move when it was simply her opinion, not an act of defiance against the network.

“I think we have different jobs here and you’re going to have to ask her why she did what she did. I honestly have no comment. I’m just going to maintain what I did for now. I don’t know what her motivations were,” said Martin when asked about Wahl’s actions.

In fact, after Martin’s statements received so much attention, Martin went on the air the next day, on Tuesday, March 4, to set the record straight and stressed that she has similarly condemned the United States’ decisions to intervene in foreign countries, but no one has taken notice.

“Here’s the problem though, I speak out against military intervention every single day on this show. And, I have been speaking out against the U.S.’s involvement in the Ukraine since the beginning, and none of those comments have ever made waves in the mainstream,” Martin said at the top of her show.

“So in a way it’s kind of a sad commentary, I guess, that only my commentary on Russia’s actions would get picked up when it’s the proper narrative,” Martin added.

Both Martin and Wahl have been making the rounds in the press, appearing on various news shows to defend their points of view. Martin turned the conversation onto a critique of corporate media news during an appearance with Piers Morgan.

Martin says that the management at RT has been nothing but supportive. However, in their initial statement regarding Martin’s condemnation of Russia’s decision to take military action in the Ukraine, RT said that they intended to send Martin to Crimea “to give her an opportunity to make up her own mind from the epicenter of the story.” Martin has since said that she turned down the offer, but remains with the network.

Liz Wahl Claims RT Was Pushing Propoganda

Meanwhile, Wahl appeared on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 for an interview with host Anderson Cooper, where she cited two examples of how she felt censured by her producers.

“I think the propagandist nature of RT came out in full force. Today, for example, I had an interview with Ron Paul…I asked him in the wake of escalation by the Russian military how should the US respond, and that question was cut out of the interview,” Wahl told Cooper.

“What’s clear is what’s happening right now amid this crisis is that RT is not about the truth. It’s about promoting a Putinist agenda, and I can tell you firsthand, it’s also about bashing America,” Wahl stated later in the interview.

Wahl says she has been overwhelmed by support from fans on social media, and she tweeted out her thanks on Wednesday, thanking fans for “kind words of encouragement.”

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong

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