Former Iowa news anchor Dustin Nolan put out a statement clarifying his now-viral farewell from his previous employer, KWQC TV6. Nolan started his statement by saying that, “Facts matter,” before going on to add that “journalism matters.” He then discussed how that was the message he intended to send when he quit his job live on the air, noting that message is now being twisted by different forms of political ideology.
“Being truthful matters. That was my message on Friday, and now it’s being twisted to fit whatever ideology people want. I was not going to speak on the virality of my farewell message and hoped the interest would fade. But now, seeing multiple publications twist my words into unintended meanings, I feel I must set the record straight,” the former news anchor said.
Nolan revealed he was leaving KWQC TV6 during a live broadcast, stating he was not only leaving the network, but from the entire news industry. “I’ll try to get through this,” Nolan said. “Well, before we go this morning, I have an announcement. Today is my last day here at KWQC TV6. I have chosen to step away from the news industry,” he said during the broadcast.
“Before I say goodbye, I just want to say, I hope every one of you that’s allowed me to be a part of your mornings know just how important that I have taken this job,” he continued, according to a report from Fox News. A video clip of his comments has garnered attention across the country, but Nolan pushed back against what he called a twist of his story to fit a narrative agenda.
“First I was not quitting on-air. I decided with my wife months ago, and the station had the job posted months ago. Second, I was not blasting the news station or the news industry. I was simply explaining my approach to journalism and reminding everyone why we do what we do. Finally, I was not fired or forced out. Again, this was a hard decision for me, but one that will allow me to follow a dream I’ve always had,” Nolan wrote in his statement.
Nolan then said that he was not going to discuss his plans for the future. He then launched into an attack on news publications that published his story “without asking for context” and framed the decision as taking a stance against journalism as a whole. “To the publications that posted this story without asking for context and those who grasped at straws to create a storyline that simply isn’t there, you’re part of the problem,” he said.
“Especially the ones who used our son’s name in the story without our permission. Shame on you. To those who may be disappointed to hear that this wasn’t an anchor taking a stand against the industry, I hope you know that local journalists are working hard every day to be the difference in the industry. Our world needs strong journalists now more than ever,” Nolan remarked.
"*" indicates required fields
He closed out his statement by thanking folks in the Quad Cities who reached out to him and wished him well since he left his career behind. The former anchor also issued a statement to Fox News, saying he stands by what he said. “I really just wanted to thank our viewers for welcoming us into their homes each morning and tell them how I’ve approached my job. I really did not expect people to take what I said and twist it into a narrative I never intended,” Nolan concluded.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video