‘RT Is Not About the Truth’: Liz Wahl Explains to Anderson Cooper Why She Quit

WAHL Why today I ░░░░░░░░ a that s a ░░░░░░░░ question I think the ░░░░░░░░ as we re in ░░░░░░░░ diplomatic standoff and during ░░░░░░░░ escalation of this crisis ░░░░░░░░ Crimea I think the ░░░░░░░░ nature of RT came ░░░░░░░░ in full force Today ░░░░░░░░ example I had an ░░░░░░░░ with Ron Paul The ░░░░░░░░ question that I asked ░░░░░░░░ I asked many questions ░░░░░░░░ asked about the Russian ░░░░░░░░ you know he has ░░░░░░░░ very anti intervention approach ░░░░░░░░ asked him in the ░░░░░░░░ of escalation by the ░░░░░░░░ military how long you ░░░░░░░░ how should we respond ░░░░░░░░ this how should the ░░░░░░░░ S respond to this ░░░░░░░░ that question was cut ░░░░░░░░ of the interview There ░░░░░░░░ another segment today it ░░░░░░░░ a news package from ░░░░░░░░ of our correspondents that ░░░░░░░░ the opposition over there ░░░░░░░░ the Ukraine as having ░░░░░░░░ Nazi elements And I ░░░░░░░░ that s dangerous when ░░░░░░░░ have a new government ░░░░░░░░ over there and I ░░░░░░░░ sure there are in ░░░░░░░░ neo Nazi elements but ░░░░░░░░ portray the entire opposition ░░░░░░░░ being part of this ░░░░░░░░ wing extremist group is ░░░░░░░░ along with the narrative ░░░░░░░░ Vladimir Putin wants to ░░░░░░░░ along with And COOPER ░░░░░░░░ this something you had ░░░░░░░░ felt pressure I mean ░░░░░░░░ does it work in ░░░░░░░░ I mean where do ░░░░░░░░ come from WAHL The ░░░░░░░░ comes from management And ░░░░░░░░ think there a a ░░░░░░░░ of young people that ░░░░░░░░ there some people inexperienced ░░░░░░░░ I think they re ░░░░░░░░ to please management There ░░░░░░░░ a form of self ░░░░░░░░ that you learn Eventually ░░░░░░░░ learn what management likes ░░░░░░░░ management dislikes Today especially ░░░░░░░░ the heightened situation in ░░░░░░░░ overtly questions are being ░░░░░░░░ Very very loaded questions ░░░░░░░░ basically to paint the ░░░░░░░░ and to present the ░░░░░░░░ perspective in all of ░░░░░░░░ And I just think ░░░░░░░░ mean I would hope ░░░░░░░░ a reporter and in ░░░░░░░░ you should always seek ░░░░░░░░ truth spread the truth ░░░░░░░░ the truth and what ░░░░░░░░ clear is what s ░░░░░░░░ right now amid this ░░░░░░░░ is that RT is ░░░░░░░░ about the truth It ░░░░░░░░ about promoting a Putinist ░░░░░░░░ And I can tell ░░░░░░░░ firsthand it s also ░░░░░░░░ bashing America And I ░░░░░░░░ of cited some of ░░░░░░░░ background where I came ░░░░░░░░ and why I am ░░░░░░░░ to be an American ░░░░░░░░ recent days I have ░░░░░░░░ suffering from a lot ░░░░░░░░ cognitive dissonance and felt ░░░░░░░░ I could no longer ░░░░░░░░ here and go on ░░░░░░░░ and tell the American ░░░░░░░░ that this is what ░░░░░░░░ happening and have to ░░░░░░░░ as news COOPER I ░░░░░░░░ to bring in Jill ░░░░░░░░ s at Harvard Kennedy ░░░░░░░░ of government She actually ░░░░░░░░ a lot of time ░░░░░░░░ focusing on the media ░░░░░░░░ in Russia and I ░░░░░░░░ you wanted to talk ░░░░░░░░ Liz DOUGHERTY Yeah Liz ░░░░░░░░ just wanted to ask ░░░░░░░░ is happening right now ░░░░░░░░ you Have there been ░░░░░░░░ and how is RT ░░░░░░░░ to explain this Because ░░░░░░░░ was a previous woman ░░░░░░░░ said some things about ░░░░░░░░ conflict COOPER Abby Martin ░░░░░░░░ Abby Martin And RT ░░░░░░░░ look all anchors can ░░░░░░░░ their views freely Have ░░░░░░░░ had any reaction from ░░░░░░░░ management WAHL Well it ░░░░░░░░ all happening very quickly ░░░░░░░░ happened just a couple ░░░░░░░░ hours ago I haven ░░░░░░░░ seen the official response ░░░░░░░░ kind of saw on ░░░░░░░░ before I went on ░░░░░░░░ that they said that ░░░░░░░░ m doing this as ░░░░░░░░ for personal gain which ░░░░░░░░ t be farther from ░░░░░░░░ truth I actually hesitated ░░░░░░░░ speak on this for ░░░░░░░░ while for fear of ░░░░░░░░ So I don t ░░░░░░░░ how they intend to ░░░░░░░░ against me or what ░░░░░░░░ are going to be ░░░░░░░░ against me I can ░░░░░░░░ that it s comforting ░░░░░░░░ on social media I ░░░░░░░░ gotten an explosive response ░░░░░░░░ really encouraging people appreciating ░░░░░░░░ coming forward with this ░░░░░░░░ that s been comforting ░░░░░░░░ me in terms of ░░░░░░░░ they re going to ░░░░░░░░ with this I don ░░░░░░░░ know COOPER Sorry Liz ░░░░░░░░ s a delay so ░░░░░░░░ don t mean to ░░░░░░░░ talking over you But ░░░░░░░░ very briefly you talk ░░░░░░░░ management and pressure from ░░░░░░░░ and even self censorship ░░░░░░░░ know there are a ░░░░░░░░ of young Americans who ░░░░░░░░ there and RT bills ░░░░░░░░ as questioning authority which ░░░░░░░░ clearly their markets strategy ░░░░░░░░ is management are they ░░░░░░░░ WAHL Management is Russian ░░░░░░░░ Middle management they are ░░░░░░░░ and their role is ░░░░░░░░ make sure it s ░░░░░░░░ of part of that ░░░░░░░░ role to make sure ░░░░░░░░ re in line to ░░░░░░░░ sure ultimately the narrative ░░░░░░░░ the Russian you know ░░░░░░░░ guy calling the shots ░░░░░░░░ we re base in ░░░░░░░░ Moscow funded by the ░░░░░░░░ government They kind of ░░░░░░░░ sure that the narrative ░░░░░░░░ delivered in one way ░░░░░░░░ another.”