Dobbs 2, CNN 0: CNN president Klein reportedly calls Dobbs' birther coverage "legitimate"
July 25, 2009 10:44 am ET by Media Matters staff
From a July 25 Los Angeles Times article:
CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein told staffers of "Lou Dobbs Tonight" on Thursday that the controversy regarding the legitimacy of President Obama's birth certificate -- a topic Dobbs has avidly pursued on the air -- is a "dead" story.
But in an interview, the cable news chief left open the possibility that Dobbs may continue to raise questions about why the president has not produced a long-form birth certificate. The absence of such a record has spawned rumors that Obama was not born in the United States, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary.
"He's got more than 30 years as a television journalist, and I trust him, as I trust all our reporters and anchors, to exercise their judgment as various stories evolve," Klein said of Dobbs, whose daily CNN program is a mix of news and opinion."Certainly if there are future news pegs, then we have to take that story as it comes," he added.
That appeared to be a step back from the stance Klein took in his e-mail Thursday, in which he wrote that CNN researchers had determined that Hawaiian officials discarded paper documents in 2001. Because of that, Obama's long-form birth certificate no longer exists and a shorter certificate of live birth that has been made public is the official record, they reported.
"It seems to definitively answer the question," Klein wrote in the e-mail, first reported by the website TVNewser. "Since the show's mission is for Lou to be the explainer and enlightener, he should be sure to cite this during your segment tonite. And then it seems this story is dead -- because anyone who still is not convinced doesn't really have a legitimate beef."
On Friday, Klein said he was not ordering the staff to drop the story.
"When I use the word 'seems,' that's an open invitation to disagree," he said. "Other people may have a different point of view about that, and they're welcome to offer it, because I don't think as management you ever want to be closed down to discussions about editorial issues."
"I have written directives in the past," he added, "and believe me, there would be no mistaking a directive from me."
Klein said he did not hear from Dobbs in response to the e-mail. The host, who raised many of the questions about Obama's birth on his radio program, was on the air Friday afternoon after press deadline and could not be reached for comment.
On Friday, the Southern Poverty Law Center called on CNN to fire Dobbs for trading in "racist conspiracy theories." And some of Dobbs' staff at CNN have told him and network executives that they are uncomfortable with his persistent focus on the story.
Klein defended Dobbs, saying that the host's treatment of the so-called "birther" movement has been "legitimate."
Previously:
Score: Dobbs 1, CNN 0; CNN President Jon Klein, Network's Latest Birther?
Who's in charge at CNN? Klein capitulates, allows Dobbs' birther coverage to continue
Media figures single out Dobbs for "fanning" flames of birther theories
CNN president emails Dobbs pronouncing birther story "dead," but Lou won't let it go
As Dobbs digs in, CNN rebuts, ridicules, distances itself from birth certificate claims
There's a saying some may not know: he's had ONE year of experience, repeated thirty times.
Dobbs has spent the better part of the past 10 years being taken by conspiracy theories and bloviating of what makes a "real American" vs. the scary minorities and "illegals".
None of that should ever count as actual "journalism".
That is pure racism and fearmongering.
The far right and the far left both make rediculous claims and lock their heels in positions that are not only devisive and foolish, but down right stupid. Positions beyond any possible consideration by a prudent individual.
Further, both extremes agressively attack any attempt at moderation.
Lou Dobbs is the closest thing yet to moderation and fairness in reporting I have found. I respect and admire his objective neutrality on this heated issue. The fact that both right wing and left wing bolgs (such as this one) are all hammering on him directly supports my position - and his.
Thank you Lou. Keep up the good work for America.
The first is now physically impossible for the media. The second still has legs but is getting killed by the internet. The third will soon be the only choice left.
Because of option 3, as the whole media slides down the cliff Fox News will always have the best ratings. This will keep everyone else acting like Fox News.
Fake people out into thinking you have an excellent product
Cater to people who don't want an excellent product
Oh, God, that's sad.
At least it's only true in the competitive ratings market of TV and radio. Newspapers don't have local newspaper competition any more (just internet, but that's not a ratings/advertiser thing) since there's only about 4 cities with 2 newspapers anymore. Magazines aren't really competing either, since they are all published by one of 3 major publishing houses.
My point being that print media could try to produce an excellent product and see what happens.
Besides, the more the RAWMs (Rich Angry White Males) open their mouths, the more sane conservatives and moderates will want to distance themselves. If liberally and moderate minded people want to advance their cause, they should let these idiots speak freely. It's clearly not helping the party they represent - the GOP - at the polls. Every word spoken by the Dobbs of the world is another lost vote at the next election from those who are embarrased and ashamed to be associated with them.
Like Napolean said: "Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake".
Chickensh!t, the board rooms and executive suites are full of them.
Lou Dobbs seems to offend both the far right and the far left about equally, just at different times and on different issues.
IMO he is one of the few objective commentator/reporters in this country.
If both sides would put down their verbal hatchets and give this man a fair hearing I believe our country would be in better shape.
Thanks Lou. Keep up the good work for America.
Semper Fi,
Buh? The man has, what, an hour long electronic megaphone five nights a week. HE needs a fair hearing? The man won't accept clear proof that he's wrong, and HE needs a fair hearing?
CNN averaged 1.1 million viewers, while MSNBC had about 950,000. [b]Compared with last year... CNN declined 10%...
In another article, sorry no link available, the theory that CNN was trying to still be somewhat neutral in a medium that skews more opinion has hurt them. The dear Lou may be trying to break out of that history.
It's White water and Vince Foster. It's the aspirin factory and "had Bin Laden on a silver platter but refused to take him."
Since they don't hold a legislative majority, rather than allow the normal checks and balances system to operate, the Right will force the administration to defend itself from continuous, spurious charges. Clinton 1 begat Newt Gingrich and I wonder now what 2 years of constant niggling will bring to Congress in 2010.
Dobbs is the closest thing to Fox that CNN, you know, "the communist network", has. They want conservative credibility, and they especially want a piece of that viewership.
Sometimes I wonder if these talking heads all meet for a beer later and laugh and share high fives - you know, like in "The Wrestler." It's all about keeping the fans in the seats, reality be damned.
They are huge multi-national corporations and are funded by huge multi-national corporations. Corporations are run from the top down. When did you ever here a CEO say they need to have their taxes raised or they need the government to tell how to conduct their business.Democrats are the only ones willing to raise their taxes and regulate their bad behavior. That's the primary reason they beat up Democrats and favor Republicans.
In that scenario, there needs to be grave concerns about his "natural citizen" status but still be confirmed in his presidency--which opens the door to a clearer definition of the status, and a call for reform.
One can envision the democrats backed into a corner and forced to support such an agenda--it would in essence be a "liberal" position.
Let's not forget that these media mega-corporations are beyond huge and can only be harmed by the left.
The right offers lower taxes and laissez-faire (or as in W's reign and possibly Palin’s, stupifed & useless) oversight. The left is suggesting more accountability and higher taxes. And they should be calling for more regulation and accountability in our media.
Our mistake is allowing our precious media to become mega-corporations. And, allowing them to sell legislators the fantasy that reduced regulations would allow the marketplace to make regulatory adjustments.
With a strong independent media, W never would have happened. Without it, we may have to suffer a Palin.
But the problem goes much further and deeper than just Faux News. Look no further than the current "controversy" about Obama's birth certificate for a text-book study of how they work. Obama's birth certificate has been thoroughly investigated and his birth place in Hawaii is irrefutable yet this hysterical hyperbole is given an airing by Lou Dobbs on what is supposed to be a respectable news network? That's what we're dealing with people!!. That's how bad it's gotten.
That he was willing to give air time to the easily refuted "birther" hysteria is beyond incredible. How does it happen that he still has a job when a freaking teenager with ten minutes on his hands and access to a computer with Google could disprove this in a matter of minutes. (Either get it right, Dobbs, or shut your stupid pie hole!! You want to know what's wrong with this country, take a look in the mirror!)
Is it any wonder that a recent survey found that Jon Stewart was the "most trusted newsman" in America?? He's not even a journalist, for God's sake. But, he makes more sense and tells more truth (or "truthiness", if you prefer) making fun of the likes of Dobbs. It's a sad example of how far we've fallen.
You want to do something about this? Write CNN and Dobbs and tell them what you think.
Certificate of Live Birth
Delivered by obstetrician Dr. Rodney T. West
At Kapi'olani Medical Center for Woman and Children in Honolulu
I swear to god, are conservatives so stupid they can't even use Google? And so stupid that they'll continue to listen to an idiot on TV who can't use Google? I mean, that took me four minutes, including the typing. Christ. STUPID PEOPLE.