Is This the End for Lou Dobbs?
By Bill Press
Tribune Media Services
It took him a long time, but it looks like CNN President Jon Klein is finally getting around to doing what he should have done a long time ago. In order to maintain the professed trademark of his network for objectivity in broadcasting, he may have to fire Lou Dobbs.
Of course, cautious as he is, Klein won’t fire the anti-immigration crusader directly, or even alone. He will throw Dobbs overboard as part of a vendetta against radio talk show hosts in general.
As first reported on the Website TVNewser.com, in a conference call on Aug. 11, Klein told his producers they should no longer book radio talk show hosts on CNN shows: not on “The Situation Room,” nor Larry King, Anderson Cooper, or Campbell Brown. From now on, said his edict, no radio talkers will appear on CNN. Period.
Why? Because, argued Klein, radio talk show hosts are incapable of understanding or commenting on the important issues of the day. “Complex issues require world-class reporting,” sniffed Klein. Not only that, TVNewser.com quotes Klein as complaining that radio hosts too often do nothing more than “contribute to the noise,” and their comments are “all too predictable.”
Klein’s dead wrong, of course. Yes, we Americans do confront complex issues today, but radio talk show hosts like me, whether liberal or conservative, are more than capable of dealing with them. After all, that’s what we do for a living. We research the issues. We explain them to listeners. We take listener calls about them. We talk about them, on average, three hours a day — without a teleprompter. We understand the issues far better, in fact, than any blow-dried anchor that does little more than read a script, written by somebody else, for one hour at the most.
Now, I must admit, I was both puzzled and disappointed to learn of Klein’s manifesto. Puzzled because radio talk show hosts have long played an important role at the network. “Crossfire” actually began with two talk radio hosts, Pat Buchanan and Tom Braden. Other CNN personalities of yesterday or today — Larry King, Mary Matalin, Bill Bennett, Roland Martin, Glenn Beck, and yours truly — hosted, or continue to host, their own radio shows.
I’m disappointed by Klein’s decision because I enjoyed six good years at CNN — as co-host of “Crossfire” and “The Spin Room.” Since leaving the network (not voluntarily), I have jumped at the chance to appear occasionally as an unpaid guest on “The Situation Room,” “Reliable Sources,” or other CNN programs. I’m a big CNN fan, and I’ll miss being part of it.
But my grief is more than outweighed by one giant consolation: At least, this will mean the end of that pompous, arrogant, and obnoxious Lou Dobbs. After all, Lou Dobbs is also a nationally syndicated radio talk show host. So Klein’s edict — “No Radio Talk Show Hosts on CNN” — must mean the end of Lou Dobbs.
And it’s about time. Dobbs contradicts everything CNN supposedly stands for. He doesn’t just report, he pontificates. He doesn’t just deliver the news he pollutes it with his own opinions. He doesn’t even pretend to be in the middle of the road, he exults in being on the extreme right.
Actually, Klein missed two excellent opportunities to fire Dobbs. First, when Dobbs assumed the role of chief executioner for undocumented workers. No fine points about breaking up families or crippling certain American industries for Dobbs. If they’re here illegally, they should be sent back across the border, all 12 million of them. It’s the kind of daily rant you expect from right-wing FOX News, but not from “news leader” CNN.
Klein should also have dumped Dobbs for fanning the flames of the “birther” issue. Long after every serious news operation had dismissed questions about the authenticity of President Obama’s birth certificate as totally whacko, Dobbs kept beating the birther drum on CNN. But, instead of admonishing him to stick to “world-class reporting,” Klein himself said Dobbs was raising a legitimate issue.
Still, it’s better late than never. We now know Lou Dobbs will be fired because we know Jon Klein is a man of his word. After all, he’s the president of CNN, “the most trusted name in news.” Surely, Klein would never ban all radio talk show hosts from CNN and leave talk show host Lou Dobbs on the air. Would he?
Ahhh, the hand of your messiah at work again. Press, you are a sick, twisted freak!
Is this confirmed?
Although I understand, and can empathize with, your disappointment with CNN’s generalized ban of radio talk show hosts, I feel compelled tonote taht, in all too many cases, Mr. Klein’s statement has been true. It’s sad that those who are conscientious about obtaining the facts, and who do, as you noted, try to unwind and clarify complex issues to the general public, I think that Mr. Klein was stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place – in order to be fair, he had to make a uniform rule that would not get him harangued for perceived “favoritism”. Had he only fired Lou Dobbs, he’d have taken a great deal of heat by those who would claim he was “muzzling conservatives”, when what he was actually doing was maintaining his company’s commitment to providing factual news rather already-disproven fantasy.
In the end, the negative part of this is somethign that’s been true for a very lopng time: when people abuse their freedom of speech and use lies to inflame revolt, an attempt to fairly maintain standards of truth ends up accomplishing the goal of the inflamers, which is, to silence the truth.
Sometimes, the appearance of fairness comes at a great cost, and I’m thinking that this situation might fall into that category.
Hey Bill Press, if CNN fired Lou Dobbs then why is he still on the air?
I see that you call Lou Dobbs anti-immigration.
I used to watch Lou Dobbs fairly regularly.
He’s not anti-immigration.
He’s anti-illegal immigration.
Why is that so hard for some to understand?
Very peculiar thing to do, ban all radio talkshow hosts and, in the process, dump Lou Dobbs.
Of course, that way he doesn’t have to risk antagonizing wingnut radio types one by one and/or liberal talk show hosts, one by one, which, I think everyone would agree, would trigger a sh*t storm of historic proportions.
Still, it would be fun to watch him do that. Battle of the media titans.
As it is, I think Klein is in for quite a time of it. I mean, there is so much cross-over between radio/TV and the internet, it is hard to see how he is going to get away with this.
Boggles the mind just thinking about it.
Press, You fucking goof. In my opinion, somebody blows your fucking head off with a shotgun.
I think Lou Dobbs is actually an interesting voice in the media. Not that I’ve watched him that much. If he does actually get fired, I would love to see what he would do without the constraints of being in the mainstream. Maybe I’d find some more actual truth.
Be seeing you,
FURB
Fuck Lou Dobbs, Finally hes fucking put in his place.
CNN is hanging on by a thread; if Lou Dobbs leaves CNN, then CNN will go down in flames. The ratings this August proves it. Fox News is annihilating the other news networks because it is being sympathetic to those who are against the health care reform efforts of Nancy Pelosi, while the other news networks (and NBC, ABC and CBS) are mouthpieces for the Administration and heckle the protesters. That’s why Fox is winning the ratings war. Rather than making fun of these Americans, Fox gives these people a voice. Lou Dobbs has done the same thing for years. You want to know why Lou Dobbs talked about border issues? Because most Americans care about border issues. It is only the shills who work for CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS and MSNBC who don’t care about border issues. Lou Dobbs talks about the issues that concern average Americans. If Lou Dobbs leaves CNN, he’ll be picked up by Fox, which is the only news network that cares about what average Americans think. All the other news networks only care about the liberal agenda.
You know, CNN is engaging in extreme disinformation when it constantly refers to itself as “#!”. CNN is actually in third place. If they dump Lou Dobbs, they may even fall behind Headline News Network.
You are full of #!@& Mr. Press.
Lou Dobbs was the only reporter that had the balls to tackle the issues that your banker masters will not let you cover. His was the only reporter that stood up for the working middle class citizen. His coverage on the out sourcing of our jobs and the free for all of illegal aliens that flooded our job markets with unskilled and cheap workers that are driving our wages down, was next to none. Lou Dobbs will surely be missed and you will be easily forgotten pal!!!
I am sure that your “moderators” will censor the previous message and help curb free speech even more!!
This makes picking a station to watch that much easier. NO MOE CNN, or HLN!
Fear not,a social revolution is coming….Americans…WAKE UP….and stand up for Freedom,Country and GOD…the New World Order is upon us….Push Back
Speaking about CNN’s world-class coverage:
1. CNN’s “political researchers” gave Klein misinformation that he passed on to Dobbs: that HI had destroyed their records. In fact, they haven’t destroyed their records as Klein and CNN’s “political researchers” stated. Klein has not AFAIK apologized.
2. CNN’s “debunking” of this issue was incredibly deceptive about what HI’s governor said. On the campaign trail she referenced that BHO was born in HI, but only to downgrade his links to that state. CNN tried to mislead their viewers into thinking that she’d verified he was born there. In fact, she sends out a form letter pointing out that it would be illegal for her to verify he was born there.
Read more about these issues at my name’s link. And, if anyone can find even one single false, misleading, or illogical statement in anything I’ve written about this, let me know.
I sure hope he fires him, because I’m abt tho Boycott CNN and I love Larry King, Anderson Cooper, Don Lemen, Christiane(sp?) Anampour & probably others I’m forgetting right now. We really need unbiased and accurate news.
You’re so full if it, it runs out your ears, Press.
It was about time they got rid of that bastard…Mr. Klein what the hell took you so long? I’m really surprised since I thougth you and Lou were both racist pigs. I’m happy and America is a safer place for blacks and hispanics, Lou won’t be out there inciting violence against the minority anymore. Proud to be an American. Lou Dobbs is a hater. Rot in hell Lou!
When I look at the 9th response above it is obvious that Mr. Press’ fans sure seem like wonderfully informed folk.
Of course I jest!! Mr. Dobbs has pointed out shortcomings in both the Democratic and Republican administrations and the people who lean left don’t have the brains to figure that out!
cnn…
Your topic Anwar on CNN with Fareed Zakaria at Anwar Ibrahim was interesting when I found it on Wednesday searching for cnn as I also have articles and information posted on this subject. Thank You… Steve Noel Sr….
It’s about time CNN let Lou Dobbs go! He left his role of “advocacy anchor” behind a long time ago to pursue his own political agenda on the air.
An individual unbiased speech about NBC inside the Tv show. This individual includes a actually difficult immigration law policy. They graduated around the Harvard College. At this moment he possesses her 1 Radio Show. He did not just like the actual U . s . chief executive.