A Gray Media television news anchor whose emotional farewell to viewers went viral last over the weekend insists he did not resign from his job while still on the air.
In a statement posted on Monday, KWQC (Channel 6) anchor Dustin Nolan said his message during the station’s news broadcast on Friday was more of a customary farewell statement — which is common in the news industry — and was not a sudden, impromptu resignation as some had spun it on social media and in follow-up news stories.
Nolan’s address went viral when it was posted in full by freelance journalist Jackie Singh, who claimed the anchor was “quitting both the station and the news industry” because viewers were owed “more than trends or sanitized news.”
While Nolan did make comments about the tone of local news presented to viewers, he insists that his farewell message has been spun to fit a viral narrative: He did not quit on air, as headlines from Fox News, the Chicago Tribune (which re-posted the story from the New York Daily News) and Variety reported. Instead, his departure had been in the works for months — he made a calculated decision to step away from the news industry after discussing the matter with his wife, and Gray Media has worked to fill his role through an open job listing that has been posted for weeks.
What is remarkable about the coverage Nolan’s address has received is that the overall tone of his message was intended to convey the importance of factual journalism, yet the headlines covering his announcement got significant details wrong, including the circumstances of his departure.
“I was simply explaining my approach to journalism and reminding everyone of what we do,” Nolan said. “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. I understand my future plans are vague — that’s on purpose, as I am not at liberty to fully discuss what I am doing next.”
Nolan said outlets like Fox, Variety and the Chicago Tribune that “posted this story without asking for context” were “part of the problem” that he was trying to address in his message on Friday. He took particular issue with people who used his son’s name in news stories on the matter, which was done “without our permission.”
“Shame on you,” Nolan scolded. “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.”
Nolan’s full message is available to view below:
