CNN Drops Dobbs: To All Those Who Joined Us in the Drop Dobbs Campaign

Lou Dobbs's resignation from CNN yesterday is an important step forward in restoring greater fairness, accuracy, and balance on CNN and cable news. It is our hope that his resignation begins to undo the climate of intolerance fostered on his show, restore journalistic integrity to the CNN brand, and bring civility and truth back to the immigration debate.

Yesterday's resignation came after thousands of people and organizations pressured CNN to stop Dobbs's biased coverage of our community and the immigration debate. For years, NCLR has raised concerns with CNN about the gross distortions, misrepresentations, and falsehoods that Dobbs's program has perpetuated in describing the impact of immigrants on American society. We have documented a litany of issues, including:

• His regular use of guests representing hate groups, vigilantes, and nativists as "experts" on immigration
• His relentless repetition of stories on immigrants and crime that project an impression far from reality
• His association of immigrants as carriers of disease that has been both inaccurate and pejorative

Just since July of this year, our colleagues at Media Matters have posted 299 items highlighting and correcting erroneous information from Lou Dobbs's show. I appeared on his show to ask Dobbs to curtail his bias and distance himself from the vigilantes and nativists he has featured. I have also partnered with CNN to address the levels of diversity before and behind the camera, in hopes that this would help.

However, in the wake of Dobbs's participation at an anti-immigrant rally sponsored by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)--an organization designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)--we joined the Drop Dobbs campaign and began to educate advertisers about the impact his rhetoric has on the Latino community.

As someone who has gone head to head with Dobbs, I must say that this has never been personal. This is an important substantive matter to the entire Latino community. We welcome Dobbs's departure, and we wish him well.

There are others giving voice to extreme and polarizing rhetoric on cable network news and talk radio, so our campaign to take hate out of the immigration debate will continue. We look forward to working in partnership with you--with your passion, your vision and support. Thank you for everything that you did to make sure that the Drop Dobbs campaign was a success.

 

Comments

[ilbereth]

Amazing, a faction of the Latino community thinks they really;

1.) Speak for all immigrants
2.) Take credit for Lou leaving CNN

Unbelievable! But I guess the biggest joke is that they think American Citizens are just stupid enough to not be able to recognize it. Maybe Aztlan is next, huh?

[blackhole2008]

LD ceased being a journalist by mis-using his media position with his obession against latinos. The network finally came around when the pressure exceeded the ratings. he got what he deserved, however we all know he will surface on some other "news" network soon.

[Bil-Zai]

Now this is another media polarizing . Fox is recruiting Dobbs after CNN dropping him. It is a victory for America to fire any racist, but why fox is recruiting a guy most Americans think he doesn't belong to journalism field or American values? the say goes "this who hosts a terrorist, and he knows he is a terrorist, is a terrorist himself" Now who should drop FOX?

[Chicagofan1]

Janet Murguía,
Do not be silly. You had very little to do with LD leaving the CNN.
FoxNews within weeks got read of major political figures and the Anita is one of them. If you for once concentrate on people who are corrapt and make tax policies while cheating on taxes, you would of been interesting to even listen. But who are we kidding?

[david87501]

My spidey sense is tingling..­.. I suspect that Lou Dobbs is resigning to become... the spokesman for the Sarah Palin 2012 campaign..­. or some sort of third, fourth or fifth party... Ron Paul?

[SmartladyDem]

We need net neutrality and the fairness Doctrine if we really want to have some balance in media and access to net content. Where are the petitions for those?

[hrpmap]

You correctly stated our air waves. They belong to all, not just those with a personally chosen opinion. The boycot of Beck was tried, his ratings went through the roof. As far as your complaints getting Lou Dobbs off CNN, I don't think so, his program was the highest rated show on CNN. Before you say I'm wrong you might do some research, the you will know.

[Tanyars5]

Good job I support you 100%. Now can we get more African American and Latino news/opinion coverage on these cable channels. The all white all night perspective on cable news shows is disturbing.

[Portnoy]

One down, several more to go. We need to double our efforts against advertisers of Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity and Levin. These people need to be removed from our public airwaves. We did it with Dobbs, WE CAN do this.

[mat3]

Dobbs or no Dobbs, illegal is still illegal no matter how you spin it.

[winningticket]

OK fine, but I can do without Dobbs.

[Tim303]

The rightists are fond of popularity. They should support Single Payer.

[JerryLevy]

No one watches CNN anymore, they have proven themselves unable and unwilling to report the news. Wait and see, Dobbs will move to another station and his ratings will rise.

[Tim303]

Because we all know that popularity means truth.

[jimrs6]

Congratulations. Dobbs will now to move a channel that anybody watches.

[hrpmap]

Why would he do that? he just left one.

[roshni]

well done and I'm glad to say that i signed several petitions from MediaMatters.

[katielady]

I think Dobbs" political position is better reflected at FOX! He should interview Prejean! maybe someone will watch.. she'll have someone who understands her kind of reality.