Tuesday, August 4, 2009
After initially agreeing to run an ad by Media Matters for America attacking CNN’s host Lou Dobbs for promoting the so-called “Birther” conspiracy theory, CNN did an about face and issued a statement which said they will not be airing the ad slated to run during Dobbs’ show.
Call it censorship, CNN-style.
The ad was to run on the three major cable news stations — Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN in three major media markets, New York, Atlanta and Washington D.C.
Watch it:
CNN’s decision was enough to buy silence from Dobbs on the topic of the president’s birth certificate last night as Dobbs never once mentioned it. He instead used his hour long program to bash the president on everything from national healthcare, to the cash-for-clunkers program and the ballooning national deficit.
From the Left 
I watched Lou Dobbs last night just to see the ad from Media Matters and never saw it. I figured our market here in Connecticut was too small but now I know it was CNN protecting their boy Lou. Thanks for keeping us informed as to CNN’s sleazy antics protecting their Birther king.
Brilliant Media Matters for America ad!
Thanks for publishing this and usurping CNN’s attempts to practice censorship. Did CNN really think they could keep the Genie in the bottle?
I watched Lou Dobbs yesterday too. I wanted to see the ad from Media Matters and when it never came on, and Dobbs resisted any Birtherisms, I figured I was witnessing a quid pro quo between Time Warner and Dobbs. They agreed to not air the ad if he shut his damned piehole about faked birth certificates.
Really? This surprises anyone?
Look, I hate censorship as much as the next guy but if you think a network is going to run an ad tearing that very network a new asshole you’re crazy.
Here’s what Eric Burns, president of Media Matters had to say about CNN practicing censorship by refusing to air the ad:
“This seems like the actions of a network desperate to provide cover for its primetime host rather than living up to its standard of being the most trusted name in news. If the ad is accurate — and we know that it is — then there is no reason for CNN to block it from its airwaves.”
Ka-Ching! I think we have a winner.
CNN is clearly afraid of their growing legions of critics, both on the left and the right. Any major news organization — from the AP, to the BBC, to MSNBC and even FIXED Noise, has to accept the fact that they will be the recipient of criticism.
The real question for me is, why is CNN protecting the behavior of Lou Dobbs? It isn’t the job of a news organization to have a political agenda. Unless, CNN just outed itself as a propaganda tool of the radical, anti-Obama right?
Fuck CNN.
Fuck Lou Dobbs.
And, fuck the Birthers.
I have zero use for any of them.
CNN is such a joke.
CNN is a lost cause. If they went off the air no one would miss them. Like Lib says, they’re a total joke.