Alaska TV reporter says “eff it,” quits on air, burns bridge

Alaska TV reporter Charlo Greene quit her job live on the air over the weekend, saying “F*** it. I quit,” and walking off the KTVA set.
Greene had just finished presenting a report on the Alaska Cannabis Club, a medical marijuana collective, during the Sunday evening news broadcast when she suddenly decided to reveal that she is actually the owner of the club and was quitting to focus on the cannabis issue.
“Now everything you’ve heard is why I, the actual owner of the Alaska Cannabis Club, will be dedicating all of my energy toward fighting for freedom and fairness, which begins with legalizing marijuana here in Alaska,” Greene said. “And as for this job, well, not that I have a choice but, f*** it, I quit.”
The camera cut to a tongue-tied anchor.
Greene later posted a further explanation on her organization’s Indiegogo page, writing, “I just quit my news reporting job on live TV to announce that I am redirecting all of my energy toward helping to end a failed drug policy that has ruined the lives of far too many Americans … Ballot Measure 2, the initiative to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska, isn’t just about marijuana in the Last Frontier, it’s about keeping the ball rolling on NATIONAL legalization…
“Few people fighting for marijuana legalization in Alaska are as media savvy, well educated on the marijuana industry, passionate, professional and completely dedicated to passing this initiative as me, the only person in Alaska that has had the balls to face the injustice of Alaska’s medical marijuana catch-22 and do something about it. My Alaska Cannabis Club members are right here with me, ready to fight this long overdue fight.”
She didn’t explain why she didn’t have a choice other than to quit her job.
In a Facebook post, KTVA’s news director Bert Rudman apologized “for the inappropriate language used by a KTVA reporter” and added, “The employee is terminated.”
People rushed to point out that he can’t fire her because she already quit.
The move has brought a lot of attention to Alaska Cannabis Club’s cause, which was obviously Greene’s intention. So, it would be hard to argue that she didn’t do the right thing for her particular case. But please allow us to stress that, in almost all circumstances, this is right up there among the worst possible ways to quit your job.
The main issue here is that Greene left a mess for other people to clean up. She left her boss and coworkers to pick up the slack and apologize for her actions – to viewers, to their own bosses, and, probably, to shareholders. So, if she ever finds herself needing another job as a TV reporter in Anchorage, Alaska, population 300,000, she might have trouble getting one.
When quitting your job, no matter how much you hate that job, or your boss, or The Man, don’t leave a mess. Leave the place better than you found it.
Nobody will be able to say anything negative about the way you left things, and you won’t burn any – or at least as many – bridges.
Here’s video.
(Via The Telegraph)