home

Lou Dobbs Leaving CNN

By Jeralyn, Section Media
Posted on Wed Nov 11, 2009 at 07:58:56 PM EST
Tags: CNN, Lou Dobbs (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Here is the text of Lou Dobb's statement that he is leaving CNN.

Shorter version: He wants to be a pundit, not a journalist. He says he wants to

....engage in constructive problem solving as well as to contribute positively to the great understanding of the issues of our day. And to continue to do so in the most honest and direct language possible.

More here. His replacement will be named tomorrow. Speculation on who it will or should be?

< CA Death Row Conditions Preferable to Those in Maximum Security | Wednesday Night Open Thread >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Lou Dobbs Leaving CNN | 39 comments (39 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

    He was a journalist? (5.00 / 4) (#1)
    by Spamlet on Wed Nov 11, 2009 at 08:02:10 PM EST


    More than some. . . . (none / 0) (#2)
    by Cream City on Wed Nov 11, 2009 at 08:07:07 PM EST
    An interesting end to a chapter at CNN, as he is the last of the original anchors.  His statement seemed pretty straightforward, and if so, it was a good call by him and/or by CNN for him to leave before it leaks that he's looking for advocacy posts.  (Jeralyn, what I heard him say sounded more like getting involved in an organization, and he listed the causes.)

    Howie Kurtz also says that, at this point, it looks like Dobbs was not obfuscating, i.e., that it is him leaving of his own volition and not one of those standard statements made when someone is pushed out to look for work as a "consultant.":-)

    Parent

    I have to say, though (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by gyrfalcon on Wed Nov 11, 2009 at 08:58:04 PM EST
    that I've never heard of somebody resigning abruptly and leaving the air with essentially no notice without having been shoved, or given an ultimatum of some kind by the bosses that he/she considers completely untenable.   I think there's at least a bit more to this than just Lou deciding to go pursue other interests.

    Didn't he up and quit in a huff with no notice once before some years ago?

    I won't miss him, but if they replace him just with one of his team, like Kitty Pilgrim, the tone of the show isn't going to change much, if at all.

    Parent

    Yes, that's why I watched for Kurtz (none / 0) (#12)
    by Cream City on Wed Nov 11, 2009 at 09:33:34 PM EST
    from wondering if there was more to the story.  But until informed otherwise, so it is.  And I agree that it's no great loss . . . but sadly, I also agree that I don't expect an improvement.  There are absolutely no signs of any reason to expect that from any of the cable news shows.

    I miss the years when they were good.  And did, y'know, news.  

    Parent

    Early CNN was such fun! (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by gyrfalcon on Wed Nov 11, 2009 at 11:59:05 PM EST
    They got a lot of stuff wrong, but they took news totally seriously.  And unlike the current version, they didn't give a flying ** what their on-air people looked like.  They scooped up good news people who couldn't make careers anywhere else because they looked, well, funny.  I will always have a spot in my heart for Bobbie Batista, the first and only cross-eyed news anchor in the history of television!

    FWIW, Kurtz is almost the epitome of Village mentality and not very good at getting the inside scoop if it might embarrass another Villager.  His MO is to fawn, not challenge.  I'd wait to see how the story shakes out in the coming d