Will Lou Dobbs’ exit save CNN?
The opinionated Dobbs left CNN abruptly. Will his absence help CNN attract viewers craving neutrality?
With Lou Dobb's leaving, all eyes are on CNN.
(Corbis/Raymond Reuter)
Lou Dobbs’ departure from CNN was abrupt but maybe not too surprising. (See “What’s next for Lou Dobbs?” and watch his goodbye speech) Dobbs had become a lightning rod for his political commentary on illegal immigrants and, more recently, Obama “birther” conspiracy theories, just as CNN—running third in a three-network race with Fox News and MSNBC—is trying to position itself as the only neutral cable news channel. Will Dobbs’ exit help CNN win viewers craving a no-spin oasis?
This is a ratings disaster for CNN: “If you thought CNN’s ratings could not sink any lower,” says Danny Gallagher in TV Squad, Dobbs’ exit leaves “a gaping hole in the ocean floor.” And, although no one is confirming it, Dobbs is surely leaving to join Fox News, which only adds insult to injury.
“Lou Dobbs quits CNN”
CNN has nothing to gain by going partisan: CNN is replacing Lou Dobbs with newsman John King, says Al Tompkins in Poynter Online, so clearly "the ratings-challenged network" is reasserting itself as "the straight-down-the middle network." Yes, CNN's still "flailing in the ratings," but it has little to gain by going partisan, since it already gets the most Democratic viewers and Fox News has a lock on Republicans.
“Will Dobbs be replaced by partisan commentator?”
Who cares about CNN? This is bad for America: If it’s not going to challenge Fox News and MSNBC, says Jason Zengerle in The New Republic, CNN should at least be “a quarantine for dangerously demagogic talk show hosts.” Kicking Dobbs over to Fox is the worst thing CNN has done since letting Glenn Beck jump ship last January. “Beck couldn’t do much damage” on CNN Headline News, because “hardly anybody watched” him. “You know the rest.”
“Why does Jon Klein want to hurt America?”
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SEE THE WEEK'S LATEST COVERAGE OF CHANGES AT CNN:
• What's next for Lou Dobbs?
• CNN's John King: Top 5 "Magic Wall" Moments
• CNN's falling ratings
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25 Comments
Posted by Peggy Moore, Thursday, November 12, 2009, 11:51 am Well I guess I will never watch cnn again Lou Dobbs is the only program I watched on CNN.
Posted by rural Americans, Thursday, November 12, 2009, 11:55 am It's interesting that the author unabashedly presumes we'll accept his assertion that Lou was the derailed one at CNN. Logic is beautiful in that no matter who finally decides to invoke it, the empirical results are consistent. CNN is a very left leaning institution. Lou Dobbs is a candid and fair Independent and that's why he was/is at odds with CNN.
Posted by faultyeyeball, Thursday, November 12, 2009, 12:23 pm Dobbs will almost certainly go to Fox, where he'll be more of the same. Ultimately, the audience for hard right wing opinionating is limited. Only 19 of the American people actively identify themselves as Republican. Dobb's has moved in concert with that group for awhile, and is completely out of touch with CNN's mandate, which is to really be fair and balanced. Longer, more detailed programs about timely subjects which really keep people informed would make me pay attention..
Posted by JMo, Thursday, November 12, 2009, 1:12 pm It's sad that the only remaining major news network that is truly objective gets the lowest ratings. CNN dumped Lou because they're fighting to be the only real watchdog of the government, by spotlighting on REAL journalists, not selfglorifying pundits.Good for CNN, and they deserve America's attention simply based on their journalistic integrity.
Posted by Parah Salin, Thursday, November 12, 2009, 1:49 pm Good riddance.
Posted by jonavark, Thursday, November 12, 2009, 2:07 pm Oh.. the idea that CNN is fair and neutral is ridiculous. With Dobbs' exit CNN will become even more left leaning, excuse making, black in america baiting channel. The assertion that Dobbs' exit form CNN will help CNN is ludicrous. I for one am glad that he will be goung where more people will see him. He's right on every issue he projects and the racist grandstaders and hand wringers on the left hate that.GO LOU! I'll be able to watch your show now that you aren't on the worst channel next to MSNBC!
Posted by Bob, Thursday, November 12, 2009, 2:11 pm CNN has never been neutral. As Fox News has a respect for conservatism by allowing that viewpoint to be heard, CNN has long been a speaker box for the Democratic Party. People are sick of that lack of balance between liberal and conservative thought and thus the higher and higher ratings for Fox and the increase in the number of people who now consider themselves conservative.
Posted by JB, Thursday, November 12, 2009, 2:15 pm It'll be a better place w/o the proselytizing paranoid maniac. Still, I think that the concept of 24 hour news is causing a lot of problems in this country. Too much airtime to fill up, so the networks have to rely on controversy in order to keep ratings. Wish we could go back to less yapping and more actual news coverage, like with confirmed facts and stuff like that.
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