Balt. Sun's Zurawik: Dobbs "real problem for CNN," Klein risking channel's credibility
August 02, 2009 4:36 pm ET by Media Matters staff
From an August 2 post, headlined "Lou Dobbs becomes a real problem for CNN," by Baltimore Sun TV critic David Zurawik:
Dobbs has consistently been lending credence to the "birthers" movement, which claims President Barack Obama is not a U. S. citizen, and thus, not eligible to be president because he was not allegedly born in the United States. The view has been widely and thoroughly discounted -- most notably by Obama's Hawaiian birth certificate. But despite such facts, Dobbs has persisted.
The Media Matters ads on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News will take Dobbs to task for his on-air actions in relation to that issue. It is a clever and sound strategy in the world of corporate TV.
CNN can't really afford to ditch any ads that don't violate standards and practices. And if they refuse this one, which can still be seen on their competitors, they have a credibility problem.
Credibility is the real issue here, and loss of it is the great danger for CNN.
While CNN generally has lower prime-time ratings than its angry, opinionated competitors on the right and the left, it does have credibility and a kind of journalistic highground by "playing it down the middle." And that pays off on big news events when viewers want verified facts and information provided without partisan spin. The ratings during the election -- and even on events like Michael Jackson's death -- are consistently big for CNN.
But Dobbs' behavior is threatening that very trust on which that success is based. Worse, Jon Klein, the president of CNN/US, now seems to be backing Dobbs after initially sending out what I read as warning signals that he wanted a more responsbile approach to any "birther" stories.
If Klein continues to back Doobs, he risks losing that credibility -- and in this case, credibility is at the very heart of the CNN brand.
Previously:
AP reports Lou Dobbs has "become a publicity nightmare for CNN"
1. The fact is this: Obama has chosen to keep his long-form birth certificate under lock and key. The question is why? It's perfectly reasonable for a journalist to raise this question. It's IRRESPONSIBLE for people who want to call themselves "journalists" to dismiss something out of hand, especially when it may involve the Constitution.
2. CNN president Jon Klein DID NOT back Dobbs. He told Dobbs that Hawaii had destroyed the original birth certificate and that Dobbs should therefore stop reporting it. GUESS WHAT? That was false. No one knows where Klein came up with that, but Hawaiian officials said he was straight up wrong. Yet news of the destruction went out on CNN live and online. So was Klein told lies from the White House? Did he make it up on his own? If so, why? Is Klein so scared of what a little journalism might uncover that he's willing to mislead viewers?
3. If CNN follows MediaMatters' demands, CNN will lose credibility. This outfit's demands that journalism not investigate certain topics is absolutely pathetic. If it becomes clear that a news agency will easily capitulate to an activist group, that news agency WILL lose credit. MediaMatters has it all backwards.
But keep it up, MediaMatters. You're helping spread the news that something fishy is going on with Obama's secrecy. As more people learn about it -- with your help -- more people will ask the obvious: Why doesn't Obama just release his hidden records and end this controversy?
And that's all Dobbs is asking.
Credibility is the real issue here, and loss of it is the great danger for CNN.
Lou Dobbs drives me insane at times - he gets really biased. But on this issue, he has stated up front that he believes that the President is a citizen and that he comes by it honestly; he would just like the Prez to come forth with the original birth certificate and end all of this inane chattering and tossing of untruths back and forth. Since the Prez promised openness in Gov. then Lou and a lot of us want to see it. It is the Prez that is dragging this out, not Lou Dobbs.
I think to call CNN to have Dobbs censured or removed and other such tactics smack of dictatorship. What is this country coming to? During Revolutionary times, politicians were noted for saying terrible things about each other. As long as it is not libelous, what's the problem? Free speech is still available to us isn't it - without pulling something akin to argumentum ad hominum - by calling your opponent a nut case?