Drop Dobbs Ad to Air on CNN

Media Matters partners with America's Voice in new ad calling out network for providing a platform to Lou Dobbs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, October 15, 2009

CONTACT Jess Levin (202) 772-8162 jlevin@mediamatters.org

Washington, DC - Today, Media Matters for America announced that a new advertisement from America's Voice and Media Matters calling out CNN for continuing to give Lou Dobbs a prominent platform will air on CNN on October 21 and 22, during CNN's heavily promoted Latino in America series. America's Voice is a partner with Media Matters in the Drop Dobbs campaign, which calls attention to Dobbs' long history of reporting marred by baseless conspiracy theories, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and undisclosed conflicts of interest.

To watch the ad, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmgN83Cs49s

BACKGROUND:

Last week, Media Matters and America's Voice reached out to supporters for help in getting the advertisement on CNN's airwaves. Thousands of grassroots activists responded, and the ad is now set to air next week during the Latino in America series. The ad follows the launch of the Drop Dobbs campaign, an expanding coalition of 15 organizations calling on Dobbs' advertisers to stop supporting his hate speech.

Media Matters has repeatedly noted Dobbs' history of anti-immigrant rhetoric and recently released a comprehensive report on Dobbs' most egregious conspiracy theories, hateful rhetoric, and undisclosed conflicts of interest. Examples include:

• Dobbs' failure to disclose his fundraising for the Hazelton legal defense fund while reporting on immigration ordinance

• His forced retraction of a smear about the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

• His show's use of a hate group graphic to push the "reconquista" myth

• His unwavering defense of his show's wildly off-base leprosy reporting

• His pushing a North American Union myth that his colleagues called a "conspiracy theor[y]"

• His injecting loaded "amnesty" graphics into CNN journalists' news reports

For more information on the Drop Dobbs campaign, please visit: www.DropDobbs.com.

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