Latino Groups To CNN: Dump Lou Dobbs Now

[Hissyspit]

http://www.alternet.org/rights/142680/latinos_to_cnn%3A_dump_lou_dobbs_now%21

Latinos to CNN: Dump Lou Dobbs Now!

By Roberto Lovato, AlterNet. Posted September 16, 2009.

As studies document the link between anti-immigrant hate speech and violence against Latinos, Dobbs continues to fan the flames.

This week, Lou Dobbs is broadcasting his radio show from a national lobbying conference sponsored by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), an organization founded by a white nationalist and designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. At a time when studies document the growing link between anti-immigrant hate speech and increased violence against Latinos, Dobbs' appearance at FAIR generates especially profound concerns among those targeted by his almost daily attacks: immigrants and Latinos.

For years, Dobbs and CNN banked on the fact that many of the Latinos who bear the brunt of his systematic media assaults--Spanish-speaking immigrants--were unaware of the threat that Dobbs posed. (Not surprisingly, CNN does not translate Dobbs for broadcast on its CNN en Espanol network). But all of that is changing; Latinos are increasingly making the connection between racism in the media and discrimination in their hometowns, and coming to a simple, yet historic conclusion: Lou Dobbs is the Most Dangerous Man for Latinos in America.

Which is why, today, Presente.org (of which I am a founding member) is joining with Latino organizations throughout the United States demanding that CNN get rid of Dobbs. And we are not alone. In the coming weeks, CNN President Jon Klein will be inundated by a growing national chorus of calls from www.bastadobbs.com and others demanding his network to stop promoting Dobbs' brand of "news." From a Latino perspective, Klein and CNN must respond if they are to maintain any semblance of credibility in the Latino media market. If CNN doesn't live up to its claim to being the "most trusted name in news" it risks losing out on the fastest growing viewing demographic in the country.

Dobbs' extremism can be seen and heard on most week nights and consists of three pillars: obsession with immigrants and Latinos; promotion of systematic myths about immigrants and Latinos; and, most dangerously, providing a platform for leaders of some of the most radical and violent anti-Latino groups in the United States.

More than anyone in national network news, Dobbs has declared war against those he calls "invaders" and "aliens." According to the media watchdog group Media Matters, for example, from January 1 through July 23 of this year, Dobbs included segments on immigration in 77 out of 140 broadcast hours. With so much airtime dedicated to slandering Latinos, Dobbs has ample opportunity to spread misinformation. For example, he has blamed Latino immigrants for an alleged leprosy epidemic that was widely debunked, and has asserted Latinos' criminality with the wild exaggeration that "illegal aliens" take up a third of the cells in our prisons and jails.

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[Why Syzygy]

1. k/r

Disgraceful for an organization such as CNN. Boycott his advertisers?

[democracy1st]

2. K & R everybody should be calling for this guy to step down,he belongs on Fox

[barbtries]

5. he belongs

outside the public discourse.

[deminks]

3. K&R

Finally. It is way passed time that CNN answer some questions about their continued support of Dobbs, IMHO.

[fasttense]

4. Lou Dobbs use to have some restraint

Now, he's just an f'ing crazy hate monger like Limpballs and Glen Peck.

He was the 1st person on any TV news program to actually criticize the bushes. He was doing it long before KO or RM. And he didn't just criticize the bush for his immigration stand. He wrote a book about the death of the Middle Class, that still has a good amount of useful information.

Oh, how the mighty, and once respectful, have fallen into the hate mongering trap.

[ejpoeta]

9. i used to watch dobbs back when he was more reasonable... he has gone off the deep end though

and it's sad to see what fear can do to people. All he does now is rant about illegal immigrants. yes, let's blame people who are just trying to provide for their families.... I tend to think that if you went after employers who hire them and maybe require that any worker be paid the same regardless of where they are from you might stop this hiring undocumented workers so you can screw them over. I tend to notice that the anti immigration stuff quiets down when things are good and gets really noisy when the economy is hurting. scapegoating is what it is. and either dobbs has gone insane over this or else he sees it as a way to boost his show and himself.... wonder which is worse here.

[City Lights]

6. I hope CNN fires his lying, racist ass.

If putting pressure on Klein doesn't work, I hope they contact Dobbs' advertisers.

[Skidmore]

7. Sometimes I wonder if his wife doesn't suffer from

Stockholm syndrome.

[pampango]

8. Unfortunately, CNN may look at Dobbs as a ratings gold mine when immigration reform

comes up this fall or next year. Whether you agree with him or not, and probably most of us don't, his best rants come when the issue of immigration is on the front burner. I imagine that his best ratings come at the same time.