Russia Today Anchor Speaks Out Against Invasion Of Ukraine: 'What Russia Did Is Wrong'
The
Huffington Post | by Catherine
Taibi
Posted: 03/04/2014
9:18 am EST Updated: 03/04/2014 5:59 pm EST
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A
news anchor for Moscow's English-speaking television network spoke out against
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a move of journalistic bravery Monday
night.
"Read More"
Russia
Today (RT) anchor Abby Martin spoke into the camera during her broadcast just
seconds before cutting to commercial and said that she needed to express
something "from her heart."
"What
Russia did is wrong," Martin said. "I will not sit here and apologize or defend
military aggression."
The
Kremlin-funded network has been criticized for manipulating news in defense of
Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The network has been slammed for it's "shameless
pro-Putin propaganda."
Martin
condemned Russia for what she called a "terrible situation" and said she would
"keep telling the truth as I see it" if that's what it takes to "prevent a
full-blown cold war."
"Just
because I work here, for RT, doesn't mean I don't have editorial independence,"
she said. "I can't stress enough how strongly I am against any state
intervention in a sovereign nation's affairs."
Glenn
Greenwald, who
reported on Martin's segment Monday morning, pointed out the rarity
of this type of journalistic independence, even in the United
States:
"Was
there even a single US television host who said anything comparable to this in
the lead-up to, or the early stages of, the US invasion of
Iraq?
...
When
that sort of commentary and reporting appears frequently on major American
television outlets, American celebration of its own “free press” can be taken
seriously. Or, put another way, until hosts of major U.S. television programs do
what Abby Martin just did on RT in connection with a major American military
intervention, American commentators’ self-justifying mockery of Russian media
outlets will continue to be as persuasive as the condemnation of Russian
imperialism and aggression from the David Frums of the
world."
Watch
the video for Martin's full speech on RT.
UPDATE
(11:50 AM): Russia
Today has responded with the following statement:
"Contrary
to the popular opinion, RT doesn’t beat its journalists into submission, and
they are free to express their own opinions, not just in private but on the air.
This is the case with Abby’s commentary on the Ukraine.
We
respect her views, and the views of all our journalists, presenters and program
hosts, and there will be absolutely no reprimands made against Ms.
Martin.
In
her comment Ms. Martin also noted that she does not possess a deep knowledge of
reality of the situation in Crimea. As such we’ll be sending her to Crimea to
give her an opportunity to make up her own mind from the epicentre of the
story."
Hi @Josiensor,
thanks for your article. But I am not going to Crimea despite the statement RT
has made. Please update accordingly.
— Abby Martin (@AbbyMartin) March
4, 2014
(h/t: The
Intercept)
tp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/04/russia-today-anchor-abby-martin-putin-ukraine-rt_n_4895679.html?utm_hp_ref=media&icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl10%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D450353
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