CNN Privately Pressed Cable Operators Not To Run Ad Attacking Lou Dobbs
An interesting postscript to the whole war between CNN and Media Matters over Lou Dobbs’ birther flirtation:
I’m told by a CNN source that the network privately pressed cable operators not to run the Media Matters ad attacking Dobbs, which pilloried his footsie with the birthers as CNN’s “Lou Dobbs problem.”
Media Matters had previously booked a week’s worth of ad time on MSNBC, Fox, and CNN — during Dobbs’ show.
The pressure, which came before CNN publicly acknowledged that they were nixing the ad, suggests that the network may have been more rattled by the campaign against Dobbs — and by the prospect of public criticism of Dobbs running on the network — than has been previously known. The network may have hoped to shut down the ad without being publicly associated with that effort.
It’s also rather intriguing that CNN has been unwilling to pressure Dobbs to rein in the birther talk — but was willing to press cable operators not to run a paid-for ad questioning it.
Update: A CNN spokesperson gets in touch to say that the network publicly stated yesterday: “CNN retains the right to object to any ad run by the cable operator on our network whose purpose is to attack CNN or our employees.”
Update II: The CNN spox also clarified that CNN only objected to the ad running on CNN, not other networks. Meanwhile, Media Matters president Eric Burns said in a statement:
“This type of behavior is antithetical to what a news organization is supposed to stand for. CNN’s attempt to prevent criticism of the network from running on its airwaves is unethical, underhanded, and, quite frankly, unacceptable.”
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What did you expect from CNN? Really, they spend so much time congratulating themselves that they have gone to another universe. They are, with Fox, the Most Untrusted News on TV. Too many self-promoters,
Here is my problem. People act like Lou Dobbs just jumped the shark with this birther nonesense. Its not true. He has been over the top with the immigration nonesense a lot worse than this birther **** and to me if CNN let him act a fool like he did with that issue then you can bet your a$$ they aren’t going to touch him over this. I guess he has pictures of someone ******** a goat or something but his ratings suck and his show sucks and yet CNN will never let him go.
North Korea says 2 American journalists have been pardoned.
CNN is looking more like its right-wing nut competitor Fox News.
Money talks!My contributions are on the way. Boycott Boycott and More Boycotts!! keep on giving us the CNN sponsors,please. Enough nonsense.
How many news cycles will MMFA get out of this story? Way more eyeballs than they would have got if CNN had shut up and run the ad. And all for free!
MMFA pwned CNN!
why has george soros not been indicted by the hague for collaborating with the nazis in wwii? you at media matters are such good little facists. i guess you all don’t see the rage building among the american people that will soon relegate you and your ilk the the trash-heap of history. that will be fun to watch.
Uncle Sam—that RAGE is building all over America! (well, maybe in the South,anyway,) The
North,East,and West are pretty calm, darn it.)
Hey Uncle Sam, George was born in 1930. The Nazi’s surrendered in 1945.
Nice try – Dingus
CNN is more dangerous than Fox news because they have done such a good job of promoting themselves as trustworthy and objective. Guys you need to ignore guys like Uncle Sam and expend the energy in flame wars to energize supporters and educate fence sitters. Uncle Sam is a lost cause
Why doesn’t Obama authorize release of his long form birth certificate? It’s a simple question, and it would be nice to get a simple answer. For those of you with an open mind, here is some interesting stuff:
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=105817
BTW, I won’t respond to any insults, so please don’t waste your time.
Since I had a typo in the last post, and I’d like to mention it (’of his’), I might as well add something. When I showed the WND link to a liberal friend of mine, he said something like, “Oh that WND, they are so biased.” Fine, they might be biased, but why don’t we talk about the facts of the case, and the possibility our President might be covering up the biggest fraud in our country?
Why do liberals get so hysterical about the subject if there is nothing to hide? Release the long form birth certificate and be done with it. The only valid reason I can think of for not releasing is because it either doesn’t exist or has something damaging on it.
I’ll ask again, why doesn’t Obama release his long form birth certificate and prove his qualifications beyond any doubt? Please don’t say he has already done so. If he had, then there would be no doubt. I am not a nut job, and I still have doubt.
CNN should not censor Dobbs’, just as GE should not censor Olbermann. On a very important principle your post is myopic and dangerous.
Hal C.
I think Obama should admit he wasn’t born in the U.S., stop denying that 9-11 was a hoax, and show us where he’s hiding the aliens (BOO!)
CNN shouldn’t censor Dobbs, nor should they censor advertising about Dobbs.
WOW-ain’t we proud–a NEWS outlet coming out AGAINST free speech! I personally think that the whole birther is idiotic but they have no right to try to censor anyone, especially after how they have presented the ‘news’ since the start of the campaign.
Edwardateller, where were you when McCain was running for Pres? He wasn’t even born in a state. His parents never even requested that he become a naturalized citizen, so our wonderful congress had to pass a resolution (April,30,2008) to state he was really a citizen. However the Constitutional lawyers still disagree that he could.It would have taken a Constitutional amendant. Hop on board and start questioning the real issues.I really don’t think two newspapers,48 yrs ago had the ablility to foresee the future and enter a bogus birth announcement in their papers. Good grief,are we really that biased that we no longer use common sense?
Hey Uncle Sam, you are in what the grade 5th or 6th grade? Hey numnuts you are the one challenging the birth certificate: prove me worng. Prove to me with links and facts why Obama is not american born. Remember you little coward, anyone that has to use Uncle Sam is obviously compensating for his lack of patriotism, You show me why we need to go down this road. Your cowrdice is showing hiding behind your name just like republicans hide behind the republican party or their momma’s dress. Republicans come in 3 different forms. You are either an ignorant tool, a religous fool, or a ditto head stool. What are you Uncle Sam? One thing for sure is that you are not a patriot, but a gutless coward I hope you do repond. since that is what cowards do. Prove me right Uncle Loser.
CNN is trying to get some of the nut jobs that watch FOX while using their more moderate commentators to keep the normal folks – it won’t work!
I lost my original birth certificate and went to the NYC Board of Health for a replacement. Like in Hawaii everything has been digitalized and the Birth certificate they gave me looks just like the one Obama has. These birthers are so brilliant with conspiracies but the did not question Bush’s lies which caused us to be involved in an unnecessary war. What fools – this whole birther thing is based on racism and hate. No other president has had to prove he s a citizen – only Obama.
This has nothing to do with free speech. CNN should not be able to label themselves as a news station without holding to some journalistic standard. Spreading lies against the President of the United States is beyond the pale.
Where is Barry Soetoro’s passport, and why are Americans ‘nuts’ for asking?
I think it is American to allow free speech, what I find difficult is how it is played. Good journalist would ask the tough and right questions that expose the facts of the matter. When questions arise checking sources and verifying them and then let the people know so they can make an informed decision. I for one see a regular failure by corporate own media to do the job. Not just as far as the Wars and what led up to them but everyday concerns that end up being manipulated for the benefit of the corporations and not the American People that majority that is ignored regularly. The health care issue is not a left, or a right or a center issue and should not be characterized as such. The number of bankruptcies, the denial of service, the death told, the millions without health, is more important than the corporation whose profits by the way are derived from the suffering and misery of the people. Wake up Corporate Media your survival as legitimate source of news depends on it.
CNN President Jon Klein sent out an email to Lou Dobbs’ staff that he considered the birther story “dead.” Klein then did an about-face and told the LA Times that Dobbs had handled the story in a “legitimate manner.” He said the network would take the story “as it comes.”
FactCheck.org noted when they investigated and debunked claims about President Obama’s birth certificate: “The Hawaii Department of Health’s birth record request form does not give the option to request a photocopy of your long-form birth certificate,” and “their short form has enough information to be acceptable to the State Department.”
SOURCE: The Progress Report, Center for American Progress, 27 July 2009.
In almost every “birther” argument I’ve read, there are quotes from the worldnetdaily Web site. Always consider the source of your information – this is a far-right Web site hell-bent on doing Obama in.
As “eyeswideopen” states, the newspapeers’ birth announcements alone should have put this conspiracy theory to rest. The newspapers stated the information in published birth certificates is released by the hospitals and not provided by individuals.
Conspiracy theorists never let facts get in their way, so let me succinctly make my argument regarding the subject of your post: Lou Dobbs is an idiot.
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