“He who dares not offend cannot be honest.” –Thomas Paine

               I have been a viewer of RT-News since mid-2010.  I’ve viewed media reports from both Wahl and Martin since their RT beginnings.  I will deliver an integral analysis of these recent events, and RT-News as a whole, to the best of my abilities from the perspective of a seasoned viewer.  I observe news and information from multiple media outlets [corporate and independent].  I feel my perspective is far more beneficial to those who lack familiarity with the works of RT, Abby Martin, and Liz Wahl.  Most of what I’ve read and heard about the three parties via online news print, comment sections, and TV news programs have been a bit outlandish.

Last weeks’ news cycle left and abundance of individuals and organizations either offended, proud, or highly impressed.  This international surge of emotions was sparked by none other than RT-News Journalist Abby Martin.  Martin made waves when she spoke out against Russia’s military occupation of Crimea in the closing segment of her RT-TV News show, ‘Breaking the Set.’  What made the act of her speaking out so admirable, incidentally earning her much deserved cheers internationally, is the fact that RT-News, formerly known as “Russia Today,” is owned and funded by the Russian Government.  Nonetheless, Martin put her job at risk to speak from the heart on how she felt about military interventionism:

“Before we wrap up the show, I wanted to say something from my heart about the ongoing political crisis in Ukraine and Russia’s military occupation of Crimea.  Just because I work here, for RT, doesn’t mean I don’t have editorial independence and I can’t stress enough how strongly I am against any state intervention in a sovereign nations’ affairs.  What Russia did was wrong.  I admittedly don’t know as much about Ukraine’s history or the cultural dynamics of the region, but what I do know is that military intervention is never the answer; and I will not sit here and apologize or defend military aggression.  Furthermore the coverage I’ve seen of Ukraine has been disappointing from all sides of the media spectrum and rife with disinformation.  Above all, my heart goes out to the Ukrainian people who are now wedged as pawns in the middle of a global power chess game.  They’re the real losers here.  All we can do now is hope for a peaceful outcome for a terrible situation and prevent another full blown cold-war between multiple superpowers.  Until then I’ll keep telling the truth as I see it.  Have a good night everyone.  I’ll see you back here to break the set tomorrow.”  -Abby Martin, Breaking the Set, 3/3/14

Martin, strongly opposing Russia’s alleged actions on Russian airwaves, stating “What Russia did was wrong” was a pretty gutsy move.  As you noticed, I used the word “alleged” in regards to Russia’s actions.

A Breif intro to Crimea and Russia

As I compose this entry, Russia is said to be in compliance with international law, due to their 1997 Partition Treaty with Crimea.   Make no mistake about it.  I’m not an apologist for Russia, Vladimir Putin, or any authoritarians for that matter.  I’m writing from my perspective based on factual intelligence currently available to us.  By the same token, as a U.S. citizen, I’m not an apologist for our wrong doings around the world either.  Wrong is wrong.  Right is right.  On that note, corporate owned media outlets have been reporting since last weekend that Russia has invaded Crimea, while reports from RT-News and other media organizations have contradicted those claims. The developing story in Crimea brings former RT-News anchor Liz Wahl into the equation.  On 2/28/14, Liz conducted an interview with antiwar activist Brian Becker of A.N.S.W.E.R.which stands for “Act Now to Stop War” and end Racism.”  During the interview, Becker accurately points out the complex nature and relationship between Russia and Crimea as he references the Crimea-Russia Treaty.  Despite this information, the corporate press is continuing to portray Russia as ‘invaders’ of Crimea.  Again, I will get more into that topic in a follow up entry concerning what appears to be “Media Wars.”

Abby Martin’s Career at RT-News 

Abby Martin’s courage to speak out in opposition to her news organization’s financiers, Russia, was an admirable feat but surely was not random.  I believe Abby did make plans to comment on the crisis in Crimea, but not as an elaborate scheme planned by “the Kremlin” to show that they are tolerant of dissent, as many have speculated.  Also, let’s make no mistake about it.  Abby and Liz are Americans who work for RT-America in Washington D.C.  Much of the western press seems to believe, including people commenting via social media, that this was planned by Russia.  This media moment has also been framed as brave because it is widely speculated that journalists that voice dissent in Russia are harassed, tortured, or murdered.  I don’t believe for a moment Abby was directed to speak out against Russia’s alleged actions as controlled opposition by Putin, or the Russian government in general.  It’s not her style to march to someone else’s drum.

I was first made aware of Abby Martin, when then RT-News anchor Lucy Kafonov, left this position and accepted a news correspondence opportunity in Moscow. During this time, RT-News was under much transition.  Alyona Minkovski, now Host of “Huff-Post Live,” left RT-News in July of 2012.  This opened the door for Abby Martin to leave the anchor desk and take over Minkovski’s newly vacant time slot in place of “The Alyona Show.”  Martin launched her 1^st broadcast of ‘Breaking the Set’ (BTS) in September of 2012, which now feels like ages ago.  Time flies.  Anyhow, unlike Alyona’s show Martin’s BTS was a bit more edgy and harder hitting.  I miss the ‘The Alyona Show,’ from time to time, but I eventually warmed up to Abby Martin’s BTS.  Though I don’t agree with her perspective as an advocacy journalist on everything, I’ve come to enjoy the show because of the diverse nature in topics.  While the corporate press is talking about the latest celebrity with substance abuse issues, Martin is typically addressing far more important issues such as President Obama’s immoral use of drones, the prison industrial complex, and the NSA’s questionable domestic spying program.  Similarly to Alyona Minkovski, Abby Martin generally covers domestic and foreign policy issues regarding actions taken by the United States.  I view RT-News style of journalism as Russia inadvertently giving the United States a return of our 4^th Estate.  Since Martin and her colleagues at RT are not beholden to any of the major corporations that control the message of western media outlets, they have free reign to restore a system of checks and balances among the populous, corporations, and most importantly, our government; without fear of reprisal.

Abby Martin weighs in on Russia & Crimea

Now that we’ve established a more thorough foundation of Abby Martin and her passion for Journalistic integrity, this brings us back to her moment of ‘dissent’ against Russia’s alleged military occupation of Crimea.  Last weekend, 2/28/14, multiple US media outlets ran with a story of Russia invading Crimea.  I became very concerned about the Crimean people after reports of these alleged invasions broke.  As a U.S. citizen, I’ve seen the effects of our military invasions & interventionism and its damage to various countries and our military personnel.  When I woke up in the middle of the night-early Monday morning-I saw Liz’s interview with Becker which left me confused as to what was really going on in the region.  This prompted me to immediately tweet Martin and Wahl in an effort to gain more clarity on the events in Crimea.  As Becker stated, the Russian troops were on the boarders of Crimea, 75-90% of the Crimean people are Russian by ethnicity, and overall the people of Crimea welcomed Russia’s protection.

Events Leading up to Martin Speaking Out  

On Sunday afternoon, 3/2/14, I noticed Martin responded to twitter follower Jay Gluck who called her out on not talking about Russia invading Crimea.  Gluck was replying to a tweet Martin posted in her feed about the 100+ KeystoneXL pipeline protestors being arrested from in front of the White House.  Martin’s response to Gluck simply states that when this all went down she hasn’t had time to do a show yet.  By reading the tweet in verbatim, Martin’s tone came across as her feeling insulted by Gluck’s accusations with regard to her principles as a journalist.  I view Martin’s condemnation of Russia as being noble especially because with the information she had at the time, they reportedly invaded Crimea.  In short, Martin got this wrong, inadvertently I imagine, due to all of the conflicting reports.  Nonetheless, I strongly believe Gluck had a lot to do with that symbolic 74 second memorable segment Martin delivered on BTS, 3/3/14.  Abby usually finishes her last segment and signs off, no epilogue; especially of this magnitude.  The conspiracy theory put out by many within the corporate press stating that Martin speaking out was managed dissent from Putin and the Kremlin sounds foolish.  Again, both Abby and Liz are Americans and live in the U.S.A.  It is very irresponsible for the press to disperse unchecked nonsense as factual with nothing to support the hypothesis.  I do however believe Martin, being a journalist who prides herself on her principles and integrity, reacted to social media.  Why else do you think she seemed especially incensed when she says “Just because I work here, for RT, doesn’t mean I don’t have editorial independence…” The only individual I know of that even remotely accused her of anything otherwise was Gluck.  The words and tone she used during that closing segment had a multiplicity effect.  It is worth noting that twitter follower Gluck’s final response to Martin that Sunday was that he also saw no tweets from her referencing the ongoing developments between Russia and Crimea.  To my knowledge, she never responded to his subsequent tweet, but did retweet multiple random things that had nothing to do with anything relevant to the situation.  The last thing Abby retweeted that Sunday actually was a quote someone tweeted about Vincent Van Goh back on 2/22/14.  I must admit that I did find that rather strange.  Overall though, I strongly feel as though Gluck’s initial response to Martin’s original tweet about the KeystoneXL White House arrests is what inspired Martin to come out and condemn Russia from her platform so passionately.  I’m pleased to report that Gluck along with 10’s and thousands of other consumers of independent journalism were more than satisfied!  Hey, if the twitter exchange contributed to her speaking out with such raw emotion, I’m okay with that.  I fondly believe everything happens for a reason.  Martin has built her reputation on being principled, honest, and outspoken on issues such as military occupation and interventionism.  No matter what the overall driving factors were, there is no denying that Martin spoke from her heart.  I’ve never actually seen her speak on something that was not part of one of her produced segments.  Again, Abby’s segments are consistently geared towards events that take place in the United States because the media is supposed to be the fourth estate of our government.  Martin loves her country which is why she consistently remains militant against occupation, aggression, and militarism.  Now that Martin works for RT-News, I think viewers feel as though she is also obligated to protest Russia’s wrong doings as well because they are her employer.

I actually applauded Martin’s efforts via twitter along with many others, as I told her what she said was the least bias I’ve seen by any other journalist reporting on what was going on in that region.  In the same tweet I noted that even though the clip was 74 seconds in length, the quality and principle within her message was very admirable as she really could have lost her job for biting-the-hand-that-feeds-her, so-to-speak.  I also let Martin know I do not advocate her putting her job in peril, but still applauded her actions as noble.  She could have easily ignored Gluck and the Russia’s actions.  She could have retweeted something someone else wrote about the Crimea-Russia situation.  Instead, she used her own voice and her own platform in RT’s Washington D.C. studio, solidifying doubts of any naysayers out there who would think she would not stay true to her moral convictions, as a human being and a journalist.

The Media Spin of Abby’s Words

The media, seemingly with intent, overlooked to key elements in Abby’s Statement.  Martin said “what Russia did was wrong” and to her credit, she did not know about the Partition Treaty at the time she made this statement.  That portion of her statement is a further indicator that her impromptu heartfelt message was a reaction, not an orchestrated conspiracy of “The Kremlin.” Martin herself even went on to confess-after her opposing views to military aggression-that specifically regarding Russia and Crimea-she was not as knowledgeable of the history or the cultural dynamics of the region.  Once she completes that sentence, she bridges onward to condemn military intervention in general.  Essentially, with or without knowing it, Martin lessens the blow of her statement by pleading ignorance to the fullness of the storied history.  That’s a good show of integrity and it helps her because she didn’t pretend to be a “know-it-all” as most on-air TV/Radio personalities do all too often.  Martin admitting, post condemnation of Russia, that she was not fully aware of the history or dynamic is a disqualifying statement, thereby lessening the validity of her opinion on the topic in question.  In other words, it’s a less informed opinion, which can be written off as a harmless mistake.  This would be tantamount to me saying “eating red apples is bad for your health.  I admittedly do not know as much as I should know about the elements contained within red apples regarding one’s health, but what I do know is that apples…”(Don’t worry. Apples are good for your health…”LOL”) My hypothesis and simple analysis is further proven by RT-News’ official response to Abby Martin’s actions from the editor-in-chief Margarita Samonyan’s herself.  Samonyan states RT will be sending Abby to Crimea so that she may ascertain a better understanding first hand to decide for herself.  Before that, Simonyan also says:

“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 air.  This is the case with Abby’s commentary on the Ukraine,…”

Simonyan goes on to say that there will be absolutely no reprimands made against Ms. Martin.  I agree with Simonyan.  I think it would be pretty cool to see Abby BTS first hand in Crimea.  There’s no telling what she might unveil.

Please keep in mind that Simonyan specifically uses the terms “views” and “opinions.”  Views and opinions are subjective, and often times may not be supported by facts.  In this case, Martin’s statement about Russia’s military occupation at the time, appears to be incorrect, which does not necessarily hurt Russia’s image.  I’ll get back to that in transition to the topic of former RT-News anchor, Liz Wahl.

Despite Martin’s disqualifying statement and RT-News editor-in-chief giving Martin an opportunity to learn firsthand more about the reality of the situation in Ukraine, western media did not care.  They addressed the statement released by RT-News chief, but they continued to parade Martin around as though she was an informed expert on the foreign policy of Ukraine, that her statement was factually correct, and to portray her as if she was a Russian citizen residing in Russia, voicing dissent.  Show hosts within the corporate press TV circuit such as Lawrence O’Donnell used Martin’s statements condemning Russia in his opening montage on 3/4/14 along with other pundits who were condemning Russia’s “acts of invasion” that were not true.  They used Martin’s voice of dissent to fit the narrative of America’s corporate press’s drum beats to war with Russia.  On Fox, MSNBC, and CNN, you have people, primarily from the right-wing establishment, actually making attempts to goad the President into declaring war.  It’s ridiculous. More ridiculous is, Secretary of State John Kerry himself hypocritically states to Russia they should not invade another country under false pretext.  When John Kerry was a U.S. Senator in 2002, he voted yes on the Iraq war under false pretext.  Triggered by independent journalist Glenn Greenwald, the corporate press ran with Martin’s dialogue to fuel their narrative within less than 24hrs of Martin’s powerful statement; angling it out of context to further push the false story of Russia’s invasion of Crimea, at that time.  When Martin went on Piers, he attempted to get her to talk down on Russian media, but she did not take the bait.  She’s not an idiot.  Piers Morgan and Lawrence O’Donnell thought they could use Martin’s comments against Russia to their advantage.  Abby actually one upped the corporate press in her live appearance with Morgan. When Piers asked Martin “what she doesn’t like about RT” she responded and smoothly side stepped it; instead pointing out the fact that 90% of our media is owned by 6 major corporations, which causes the self-censorship.  Martin went on to explain that this level of self-censorship has made journalists who work in the

Abby Martin’s Quote: 6 Major Corporations (Click to Source-Business Insider-2012)

mainstream beholden to the corporations and advertisers that put money in their pockets.  The self-censorship prevents them from being critical of their advertisers for fear of either losing their job, losing them as a client, or both.  Her appearance in the mainstream was refreshing.  Martin also adds that RT, being funded by Russia has its perspective, just as the corporate press has theirs.  I admittedly do find it strange that Martin was unaware of her colleague, Liz Wahl’s 2/28/14 report which would have given Martin a more factual statement to speak on back on 3/3/14.

The Rise of Liz Wahl

When it comes to the perspective of Liz Wahl, this is a much simpler explanation primarily for one reason.  While both Abby Martin and Liz Wahl are journalists, Abby is currently active in advocacy journalism, while Liz Wahl, before resigning from RT last week, was a news anchor.  News anchors are objective journalists; at least they should be.  If you watch just 5 minutes of Fox News, every report is generally something bad about Obama or the latest liberal doing something the Network disagrees with.  On the flipside, when one switches over to MSNBC, the News anchor’s there will primarily pull up stories about Chris Christie and his NJ Bridge scandal, or the latest conservative doing something they disagree with.  It’s really just a media circus and a tug-of-war for power.  In regards to Liz Wahl and the other RT-News anchors, they were objective when presenting their stories from the news desk, but their bias actually is to pick up any and every news story that doesn’t involve Russia being cast in a bad light.  I can confirm this just based off of being a frequent viewer that past 4 years.  Reporting news events as it relates to the United States or otherwise, they are pretty objective.  I’ve seen Liz report on the liberals doing bad things, conservatives, libertarians, corporations, crimes by individuals, and etc.  Though not as often, RT does on occasion present feel good stories of Americans doing something noble.  For the most part, they cover current events and politics.  As a news anchor, she reports the stories as they are written, and moves onward to the next item with no opinions; just information.  Because Wahl was an RT-News anchor before she left, I know very little about her.  As an objective journalist, I’ve never heard her give an opinion on anything until the day she resigned her post.  There has been much speculation as to why Wahl resigned just 2 days after Martin’s bold stance.  On 3/5/14, Wahl stated from the news desk that at the end of her broadcast, she will be resigning from RT-News Network.  She went on to claim that RT-News, because it is funded by Russia, that she can no longer work for the company.  Now Wahl has worked for RT-News for a little over 2 years.  As I mentioned early on in this article, I saw her transition into the role more prominently as Martin was to start her new show, BTS.  At this point, Wahl is receiving tons of praise and fanfare within the Western media outlets, for being brave enough to resign on principle.  She immediately joined the ranks of Abby Martin in that regard, but not without her detractors.

In her CNN interview with Journalist Anderson Cooper, Wahl was asked “why quit now after being there for 2½  years?”  Her response to Cooper that it was primarily due to the diplomatic standoff between Russia and the United States surrounding Crimea; so she could no longer work for RT.  She also states that when it relates to the heightened situation in Crimea, when she actually does cover this topic, the news station is giving her overt questions to ask that will help paint Putin’s agenda into a good light.  Wahl notes as a most recent example, she conducted an interview with retired Congressman Ron Paul earlier that day and asked him his thoughts about the “Russian intervention” given the escalation of the Russian military?  Liz says this question to Paul was edited out of the interview.  Retired Congressman Paul later uploaded a video response from his site “The Ron Paul Channel” and has since contradicted her claim.  Her interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN took place just 2 hours after her resignation.  During the interview, she additionally states that she is proud to be an American and that she can’t work for a Russian funded network that “white washes” Putin’s actions, because she believes in disseminating the truth; both as a journalist and in her personal dealings.

Wahl was also interviewed by Lawrence O’Donnell on his program ‘The Last Word.’ O’Donnell made mentions a quote from RT which states:

“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…”

The statement further reads…

”But when someone makes a big public of a personal decision, it is nothing more than a self-promotional stunt.”

 Wahl responds by stating the station was trying to juxtapose her with Abby in the wake of her opposition to interventionism.  Wahl says that the content of Abby’s show is a narrative “The Kremlin” like to hear.  Wahl communicates to Cooper that even though she was in the position of an objective news anchor’s role, the difference between herself and Martin was that Wahl was being forced to promote the foreign policy of a dictator.  Bound by her morals and ethics, she could no longer work for RT, especially given the current diplomatic standoff.  Wahl also adds that RT’s primary agenda is to present the United States to the rest of the world as a very bad nation, while trying to make Putin look like a good guy.

Liz Wahl’s Possible Downfall

I respect Liz Wahl as a journalist, but her credibility may be tainted.  As you recall, I stated that when Abby made her views known about her opposition to Russia’s military occupation, I felt compelled to say “Russia’s alleged military occupation.”  Remember, the western media outlets have been reporting that Russia has invaded Crimea, while RT’s Liz Wahl, as well as other RT Journalist’s whenever they do decide to cover something Russian related at RT-America, have been making mention of the Russia and Crimea 1997 Partition Treaty.  Given the conflicting reports, I began to worry that we were in the midst of a media war.  I’m more than certain that we are beyond a shadow of a doubt.  If what Wahl says is true in her March 5, 2014 interview with Lawrence O’Donnell, then was the interview she conducted with Brian Becker fact, fiction, or a little of both?  Obviously through my own research, I have confirmed the Treaty Becker made mention of to be true.  Even still, these are important questions that need to be answered because in the United States, the neo-conservative base has been goading the President into being more aggressive with Putin.  Short of a declaration of war by Congress, what else can President Obama actually do to get Putin to reduce his military presence around the borders of Crimea?  This is a very dangerous game these politicians and dictators are playing.  The citizenry deserves and needs to know the truth.  Americans, Russians, and the Ukrainians.  War is nothing to rush into or take lightly.  What weakens Wahl’s credibility, aside from Ron Paul’s statement where he claims his interview with RT was accurate, is that she really doesn’t give any additional specifics.  In subsequent interviews, she made mention of how she received a memo that told the reporters to “find bad news stories about the USA.”  The only problem with this story is that she doesn’t present any concrete proof.  If one was planning to leave as she stated, you’d figure she’d begin to gather some smoking gun evidence to really expose RT for what she claims them to be.  Of course O’Donnell and Cooper didn’t press her for any actual proof of her claims because her accusations against RT fits the narrative of the USA perfectly.  We’re the cute and cuddly loving America 100%, and Russia is the evil dictatorship that wants its citizens and journalists to say and think what they want them to.  Do you see the irony there? I give Neil Cavuto credit though, because he actually did query Wahl for evidence to back her claims; specifics.  During the interview, Neil and Liz reveal she used to intern with Fox News.  It was actually a pretty funny interview. 

Anyhow, one of Wahl’s former colleagues tweeted Wahl about what Paul stated in a video response, Wahl simply responded…”I can point out to him where it was edited.”  Liz, c’mon.  You’re a licensed journalist.  You know better than that.  To prove something like this, not only would Paul himself have to corroborate her story, but Wahl would need to get access to the raw footage from the interview to prove this claim.  At this point, short of a subpoena, I’m sure she is unable to get this footage.  For the time being, this is all a matter of here say.  If Wahl is in fact sincere in her motives and really did leave based on principle, I will give her credit once more as I first did when I saw her viral video resignation.  However, at this point, it is not really looking too good.  If a few more journalists come forward, that could help bolster her case.  Believe me, as a former news viewer of Wahl’s, I really want her to be vindicated in all her claims.  She always came across as a professional intelligent journalist.

I’ve been where both Martin and Wahl have been when it comes to choosing principles over a paycheck.  In fact, 4 years ago I walked away from a high level executive position with a very attractive contract based salary.  I woke up to a great ocean front view and worked from a very nice plush office.  As usual, my own code of principles and high level of work ethic got the best of me, despite my great financial situation.  There were things I began to notice that I took issue with.  I strongly disagreed with the direction of the CEO.  The CEO was a really nice person and all, but I have never been a “yes” man.  I’m not a company man.  I never have been and I’m sure at this point in my life, I never will be.  I fought for productive and creative changes on a daily basis.  I got some of those ideas implemented, but eventually, it was time to step down.  No regrets.  I spoke my peace, took a firm stand, and left with my dignity in tact.

The Return of The 4th Estate

When it comes to RT-America, their network is actually good for America in the sense of the fourth estate feel it gives the United States.  We’re not a perfect union, but we can always strive to become a better one each day, as it states in our preamble.  I love my country and will continue to fight till the last breath to make this nation a better one.  I’m a principled Defender of the Constitution and do not care about the falsehoods of the left-right paradigm drama.  Even though Abby Martin’s show points out a lot of negative things being done by corporations, individuals, the banking industry, polluters, or etc, that’s not a poor reflection of RT-News or Abby Martin’s disdain for America; it’s a poor reflection of the aforementioned entities behaving poorly.

One of the central purposes of a free press is to shine a light on corruption; whether it’s at the hands of an individual, a business, a corporation, or again, most importantly, our government.  The free-press is supposed to be fearless when it comes to printing things other do not want printed.  No one is above the law.  We have to rid ourselves of media bias, at some point in time.  On the other side of this coin, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, the journalists of RT-News will not be allowed to conduct in depth investigative journalism for RT that paints a bad image of Russia.  RT is an internationally consumed media outlet, not seen domestically by Russians.  No boss would ever pay its employees to make them look bad so that they, the staff, can keep their superiors on their toes; causing them to behave better.  That’s just not going to happen without some form of eventual reprimand.  What Abby Martin did last week was so unprecedented, Wiki restored her page.  Short of Russia doing something critically inhumane, I don’t expect to hear her speak out against Russia any time soon.  All that aside, let’s be realistic and understand that if Abby slammed Russia day in and day out with hard hitting stories and investigations as she does concerning issues within the United States based on facts, reprisal would eventually be at her door step, and she would likely get the ‘Phil Donahue treatment.’  As a seasoned viewer of BTS, unless Abby has a new job lined up, or worst case scenario, we’re at war with Russia, I don’t expect to see her speak out against Russia’s policies/actions much too often beyond this, if at all.  Nevertheless, the truth is the truth and it is a journalists job to seek truth, no matter where it leads them.  That being said, what Martin chooses to report on, on a daily basis, as well as journalists everywhere, will be their decision to make each day.  In regards to Abby, I’d like to see her keep doing what she does best; Breaking the Set on our domestic issues.  We’ve got plenty more corruption here that needs exposure.  Abby herself says in one of her follow up interviews that she hasn’t lost her job, “yet.”  I don’t have a desire to see Abby place her career in further peril unnecessarily.  I trust she’ll continue to do what’s right.  Right now, media needs as many critically honest voices as we can get.  Believe me, when Russia does something unethical, there will be plenty of outlets within the United States to condemn their actions.  A good example of this would is a reference to the Olympics in Sochi, Russia.  Before the chaos went down in Kiev with the attacks and protests, the American press was heavily criticizing Russia.  Journalists were tweeting photos depicting the poor conditions of bathrooms, hotels, and discussing Russia’s anti-gay laws, and such.  When it comes to Wahl, I’m not exactly sure what her motives are at this point, but I did wish her well via twitter.  I really enjoyed her work as an anchor at RT and hope that what she is saying is true for her sake.  Consequently, if Wahl’s claims are true, that would hurt RT’s credibility.

Until our corporate controlled press gets its act together, I welcome the RT’s of America.  As I mentioned early on, another way of looking at it is hey, if Russia wants to employ American Journalists while intermittently contributing to the restoration of our 4^th estate, I say let them give us their money.  On a small scale, it gives us a revived sense of checks and balances.  I rarely, if ever, see them report on the trivial celebrity garbage that our media is fixated on for the sake of ratings.  As long as I’m able to vet and fact check what RT reports as factual, their network is alright by me.  Their reporters are allowed to report stories that most of our corporate owned press aren’t allowed to mention, let alone critically investigate.  Aside from RT, I’m a huge supporter of independent journalism.  As we move forward within the midst of the media wars, my best advice is to follow the Russian Proverb: “Trust, but Verify.” Here’s to consistently good journalism that disseminates the truth.  The more truth one has, the less corrupt you are likely to be.

A Valente Journal,

-Lorenzo