The New Dark Age

http://widgets.vodpod.com/w/video_embed/Groupvideo.3108068more about “CNN’s Lou Dobbs Problem“, posted with vodpod

We have momentum, and Lou Dobbs and CNN are clearly feeling the pressure. Dobbs lashed out at Media Matters on his radio show last Friday, calling us “an attack group” and “sort of the Swift Boat of the left.” [1]

Yesterday, the AP reported that Dobbs has “become a publicity nightmare for CNN.” [2] And Dobbs’ ratings have reportedly been crashing since the eruption of the birther controversy. [3]

As countless other media figures criticize Dobbs, CNN is making a mockery of its claim of being “the most trusted name in news.” Jon Klein, the network’s president, continues to downplay Dobbs’ promotion of the birther theories, saying he is merely covering “the phenomenon of the doubters” — even though Dobbs himself has questioned the authenticity of President Obama’s birth certificate. CNN can’t continue to condone Dobbs’ birtherism and expect to be taken seriously. Jon Klein owes viewers — and his network — more. So what’s next?

This week, we are launching a major television ad campaign against CNN and Lou Dobbs. We have purchased airtime on Dobbs’ show, as well as on Fox News and MSNBC. The ad calls out CNN for allowing Dobbs to relentlessly promote this racially charged fringe conspiracy theory on its network. It will air starting on Tuesday, and we need your help to run it as many times as possible. Preview the ad and please make a donation today so that we can keep the pressure on CNN:

mediamatters.org/dobbsadcampaign

Clearly the work of our collective activism — more than 15,000 petition signatures and more than 5,000 emails calling on Klein to address his network’s Dobbs problem — is having an impact. But we still have more work to do. Help us raise $20,000 by the end of the week so we can run the ad on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC as many times as possible:

mediamatters.org/dobbsadcampaign

Klein is mistaken if he thinks the growing controversy and damage to CNN’s credibility will disappear if he feigns ignorance while Dobbs traffics in outlandish conspiracy theories. Even Fox News hosts and personalities have criticized Dobbs’ birther coverage. Bill O’Reilly called the story “absurd”; Chris Wallace said Dobbs sounds like a “grassy knoll nut”; and Ann Coulter said Dobbs is “wrong.” Let’s keep up the pressure and show CNN that mainstreaming racially charged fringe conspiracy theories is not acceptable. Please make a donation to help us air the ad as many times as possible.

mediamatters.org/dobbsadcampaign

Thank you for your continued help in holding CNN accountable.

Eric Burns
President,
Media Matters for America

[1] Dobbs responds to “Swift Boat of the left” Media Matters’ birther
ad: “This is just really extraordinary” [http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907310039]
[2] AP reports Lou Dobbs has “become a publicity nightmare for CNN” [http://mediamatters.org/blog/200908020005]
[3] Dobbs ratings reportedly take a nose dive since eruption of birther controversy [http://mediamatters.org/blog/200907300046]