Let’s Hear it for (Un)objective Reporting!
Dec 01, 2009
CNN anchor and network fixture Lou Dobbs recently left the network. According to sources, the reason behind his sudden departure was a difference in opinion between Dobbs and CNN President Jonathan Klein about Dobbs’ refusal to tow the network’s ‘neutral’ line of reporting. CNN’s goal has traditionally been to offer its audience objective reporting as a neutral counterpoint to its rivals (FOX News and MSNBC). As anyone who is familiar with Dobbs will tell you, Dobbs wasn’t very good at riding the fence (which is further evidenced by new rumors that he is considering a 2012 bid for the White House).
I can’t say for sure how things went down between Klein, Dobbs and the network. What I can for sure is that Klein’s idea of CNN – or any other network or media outlet – as an unbiased medium is ridiculous and out-dated. Sure, there was a time when reporters were supposed to be neutral and opinion-free. But that time is long gone. Anyone who still thinks that journalism is objective is delusional. The world of social media and the digital age have forever changed that. There is a constant ongoing conversation among consumers as they generate their own dialogue and decide for themselves what’s newsworthy. Playing the middle ground these days is a losing battle.
The most successful media outlets are the ones that take a stand for one side or the other. And let’s be honest: those outlets are the most interesting anyway. Who actually wants to listen to boring, opinion-free reporting? Give me a good ole’ fashioned debate any day! Even if I don’t agree with a network’s position, at least it makes for interesting TV. There’s no longer any point in trying to take the middle-of-the-road. So if Klein thought getting rid of Dobbs was going to solve his ratings problems at CNN, he better think again. There’s no going back to the days of objective news reporting. And I say thank goodness for that. My hat is off to Mr. Lou Dobbs for sticking to his guns. And here’s hoping he continues to do so in his future endeavors.
LINK
NY Post – CNN wanted Lou out
I miss lou Dobbs. Lou was one of their heavy weights, his style of reporting was convincing and his years of life on planet earth adds even more weight to his opinions. He’s seen it all before.
It’s the same old tricks repackaged..
CNN has kids reporting, who look nice and read copy as in empty talking heads.
Fox isn’t much better either, except have nicer looking talking heads who wear shorter skirts.
CNN is delusional if they think they are an un-biased news outlet. They are left of center. Simple as that. From the news the choose to run and the news they choose to ignore, from the snark their “unbiased” anchors offer – it all shows a bias.
The solution to biased media is to be balanced, not watering things down. Balanced means: offering more, varied, outspoken voices. It doesn’t mean a blanket restriction of opinion.
If CNN (and MSNBC, NBC, CBS, ABC etc) want more balance, they need more right-of-center voices as a counter-weight to their left-of-center voices. And they’d get more viewers if they did. Just ask Fox News with its viewership greater than CNN and MSNBC combined.
Yea who wants to hear the truth anyways? What does that solve? Unbiased and objective news! What is that about? Who wants to live in the real world? Everyone knows that they themselves like to be lied to. Like we really want to know what is really going on. For example when your child starts dating you don’t want to know what is really going on. Or when your spouse is spending extra time away from the family and you can’t figure out why. Like I wanna know what is going on right. Just lie to me. It is the thing to do now. We just want to be lied to. So why should the news be any different? We want lies and more of them. That way if a toxic spill ever happens in my area my media can just tell me it didn’t happen. Then I can come down with cancer and go to the doctor for help in hopes my doctor will just tell me everything is fine and I need no treatment. This is the land of TMZ now. Propaganda and more of it. Let’s keep living in a delusion! YAY!