Jim Geraghty highlighted a fun bit of media trivia in today’s issue of the Morning Jolt and it involves a name familiar to most regular readers. Ed Schultz had his MSNBC show cancelled last summer as the network grappled with their tanking ratings, but his dozens of loyal viewers no doubt remained sure that he’d land on his feet. Turns out they were right, as the bombastic union supporter (and employee, though he never mentioned it on the air) has landed himself a job as an anchor at Russia Today’s American network. Here’s the video announcement:
Russia Today, in terms of being an unbiased news source, is probably only slightly worse than the soon to be shuttered Al Jazeera America. Their spin on pretty much everything is the same: blame America, but do it in a way which makes it look slightly more like actual news than Vladimir Putin’s personal propaganda bureau. Some of their previous employees have grown tired of the biased Kremlin advertising and taken the rare path of turning down a job in the media. As Jim reminds us, one of RT’s anchors famously had a drop the mic moment and walked off the job, being unwilling to shill for the Kremlin any more.
Another member of state-funded Russia Today made waves on Wednesday — not by standing behind Moscow, as the news network is wont to do, but by bucking it.
From the anchor chair, Liz Wahl closed a show — as seen in video which she later tweeted — talking about the “ethical and moral challenges” she faces working for Russia Today, also known as RT. She spoke of being from a family who fled to America to escape Soviet forces during the 1956 Hungarian revolution, being the daughter of a U.S. military veteran and being the partner of a physician who works at a U.S. military base.
“And that is why, personally, I cannot be part of a network funded by the Russian government that whitewashes the actions of Putin,” Wahl said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I’m proud to be an American and believe in disseminating the truth,” she added. “And that is why, after this newscast, I’m resigning.”
That’s one heck of an outfit that Schultz has signed on with, but there may be one saving grace here. For a number of years we were left writing columns about the union spokesmodel’s motives and wondering if he was really trying to undermine America. With this new post he can be completely unfettered and just let his freak flag fly. Enjoy the new gig, Ed.
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