Lou Dobbs’ Truth
Posted February 13th, 2008by Ilan Stavans
With the heat of the presidential primaries at a record level, one TV network covering the campaign is emerging a winner: CNN. The thoughtful team of specialists isn’t eclipsing the candidates’ words, which is a welcome respite to viewers often bombarded with inimical commentary by know-it-alls. Indeed, the political symmetry within the team allows for honest analysis, reducing the number of stage-prone displays of forgettable wisdom. And the technological gadgets used to explain voting patterns, while impressive, aren’t overwhelming.
One uncomfortable exception: Lou Dobbs. For years I’ve wondered what use CNN has for such a biased, tendentious newscaster. Ours is an age of subjective TV news. Getting the information across isn’t the prime goal. What matters is to inject a viewpoint in the viewer’s mind. Fox News champions this strategy and, if the ratings are any indication, its audience is shrinking. When attempting to understand what’s happening, people don’t want to get beaten over the head with ideologically-charged messages. Instead, they want to make up their own minds. Being on this side of the screen doesn’t mean we’re robots.
As a general rule, CNN trusts its audience’s intelligence. But Lou Dobbs doesn’t. He believes the day’s news and his personal agenda are one and the same. This is especially obvious when it comes to addressing stories about immigration. Mr. Dobbs models himself as a nativist crusader, which would be acceptable if his podium was in a lecture hall. However, he speaks to millions of people around the globe. His opinions on undocumented labor are offensive because of the tenor he uses. He compares immigrants to a cancer about to kill the United States.
As in every case, the audience ought to be exposed to the two sides of the immigrant issues. But Mr. Dobbs doesn’t allow his interviewees to offer clear, responsive opinions. That’s because he’s of the shameful journalistic school of Bill O’Reilly. Shape your show as a Roman circus, throwing your guests to the beasts! Don’t trust a reasonable argument! Triumph over everyone using bulling practices!
It’s a shame CNN tarnishes its reputation by featuring a bigot in its team.
