[Updated] Lou Dobbs resigns from CNN

CNN host Lou Dobbs resigned from the network today, saying that he has been urged by political and business leaders to leave his television platform to “engage in constructive problem-solving” on national issues. He said today's show was his last.

“Over the past six months, it’s become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us,” Dobbs said, adding that he’s considering pursuing a number of options.

“As for the important work of restoring inspiration to our great free society and our market economy, I will strive to be a leader in that national conversation,” he said.

Dobbs’ break with CNN comes after he worked at the network for more than a quarter century, starting with its inception in 1980, often clashing with network executives in the process. While he originally led the network’s business coverage, in recent years Dobbs developed a populist persona that has increasingly been out of step with the network’s emphasis on neutral reporting. He has railed about the country’s immigration policy and used his show to raise questions about the validity of President Obama’s birth certificate. 

Several months ago, CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein discussed with Dobbs tamping down the opinion on his show, something he agreed to do. But his presence on CNN continued to be a source of friction within the network. Liberal groups have been calling for CNN to let him go and on Wednesday celebrated his resignation.

“Our contention all along was that Lou Dobbs – who has a long record of spreading lies and conspiracy theories about immigrants and Latinos – does not belong on the ‘most trusted name in news,’ ” said Roberto Lovato, co-founder of Presente.org, a national online advocacy organization coordinating BastaDobbs.com, a Latino-led coalition. “We are thrilled that Dobbs no longer has this legitimate platform from which to incite fear and hate.”

[Updated]: CNN President Jon Klein issued the following statement today: "Lou Dobbs is a valued founding member of the CNN family. For decades, Lou fearlessly and tirelessly pursued some of the most important and complex stories of our time, often well ahead of the pack. All of us will miss his appetite for big ideas, the megawatt smile and larger than life presence he brought to our newsroom, and we're grateful to have known and worked with him over the years. With characteristic forthrightness, Lou has now decided to carry the banner of advocacy journalism elsewhere. We respect his decision and wish him, Debi, and his family the very best."

— Matea Gold

Comments

[Paula Higgins]

There is nothing "neutral" about CNN. They are pretty far to the left. Good for Lou Dobbs for not bowing to pressure from Jonathan Klein. Lou Dobbs has integrity unlike the Obama shills at CNN.

[Turk]

Several months ago, CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein discussed with Dobbs tamping down the opinion on his show, something he agreed to do. But his presence on CNN continued to be a source of friction within the network. Liberal groups have been calling for CNN to let him go and on Wednesday celebrated his resignation.
???????

that just proved that CNN is a Liberal show....
not fair and balanced..

heh

[Joe]

CNN Balanced??? By who's standard? Dobbs was too good for them!

[Melaine Samson]

Lou Dobbs is such a hateful demon. Let him spread his hate on the Republican Broadcast Network, Faux News.

[Oculata Certitudine]

Goodbye and good riddance. CNN is supposed to be a news network. The fewer non-journalist commentators the better. Dobbs' rabid anti-immigrant stance and his tacit endorsement of the "birther" movement demonstrate that he lacks sufficient grounding in reality to be broadcast daily to millions. Perhaps this is the first step in CNN regaining its credibility as a news outlet.

[Renteria]

c u cnn news--but i still love the website.

[Lee]

Another quitter. No credit to CNN for not firing him long ago.

[M Lederer]

Dobbs was a GOP hack just like the dirtbags on Fox.

[Tim Wilson]

Anyone who speaks their mind with an independent voice will always have people vilify them, and often, if they don't walk lockstep with the conventional media they are described as purveyors of hate.

Why is that? Are we (from either side of the political spectrum) so threatened by one who might be different that we have to make them into something they are not?

He'll do well, where ever he goes, and God bless the naysayers anyway.

levethejobbehind.com

[Big Jim Slade]

Agreed.....I'm a big fat Democrat, but to suggest that CNN is 'neutral' further suggests that your piece here in the LA Times is anything but.....

[Tom]

CNN..."the most trusted name in news" What has Roberto Lovato been smoking? Of course, the quote is from Roberto "open borders for the reconquista movement" Lovato, so I shouldn't be surprised. If more people think his way about the heavily left wing biased CNN, we are indeed in trouble.

[Jeff]

Dobbs decided he would rather advocate his politics than report facts related to politics. That is fine, he just needs to do it somewhere other than a real news broadcast. In the meantime those that only want to watch "news" reports that cater to thier political preferences and tell them what they want to hear can tune in to Fox or MSNBC.

CNN is the closest thing to real news left on cable and if you cant see that your blinded by your own rhetoric.

[salman]

I am glad you are leaving CNN Lou. I could never figure out if you were balanced or a right wing looney. You were giving CNN a bad rep with your concerns of President Obama being an american citizen. When I used to listen to you, I usually heard you bash the Liberals. How come you never bashed the Conservatives? How about the loonies on the right like Beck/Limbaugh/ORiley/Virginia Fox/Michelle Bachman? I pretty much stopped watching your show the day you jumped on the birther bandwagon. You pretty much lost your credibility in my sight. I am sure Fox will accept you with open arms Lou. Fox took in Beck, so I am sure you have odds in your favor if you pursued Fox for a position.

[A. Livak]

I hope Lou continues to be a force of reason in the future. I would like to see an ethical person such as Lou become involved in national politics. He may be the influence we need to help this country recover.

[nathan]

Leaving CNN/Headline News certainly helped Glenn Beck. Let's hope Mr Dobbs can join Fox News quickly. That certainly won't help with CNN's ratings problem- some of CNN's shows are getting beat by Headline News.

CNN might as well stop covering politics all together. They get better ratings w/ Nancy Grace blubbering on about the latest missing girl.

[Jonathan Smith]

Really glad this clown has resigned. His show was nothing more than a centralized campaign against illegal immigrants. The lies were so numerous that people eventually grew tired of him. His ratings were behind Fox, MSNBC and even HLN.

Even though I didn't join the campaign, I congratulate the people from the "Basta Dobbs" campaign. They gathered more than 100, 000 signatures and probably had something to do with today's news.

[volwolf]

CNN is neutral?? Lou Dobbs is a voice for voters who consider themselves Independents, which are the largest voting bloc. His challenging of both Democrat and Republican doublespeak will be sorely missed.

[Orin H]

Well for starters, covering news that lacks enough evidence to satisfy journalistic criteria would do it. That's not "leftist" to dislike bad journalism, which he occasionally makes the mistake of jumping on. That would be like saying Dan Rather got in trouble from his " clearly righty" bosses, he got in trouble because he jumped on a fake bit of news. Covering birth certificate stories is just as sad, since it's obviously a conspiracy theory without evidence.

CNN also seems to prefer news over opinion hours, and he was frequently more about sharing opinions than covering stories.

There is a large cable news market out there, and if he wants an opinion hour he can go to MSNBC or Fox News to do that, since neither of those networks specialize in doing news anymore.

This also doesn't make CNN "left" because his opinions are "right", to be honest his opinions are neither left nor right consistently anyways, so against thats an argument made out of nothing. Especially since he chose to leave.

There are a ton of interesting things this story brings up, like his future on TV or what he is going to do next, trying to turn this into a story of how the MSM is out to get you, or that all news coverage that isn't "fair and balanced" (Fox News) must be liberal, isn't one of those.

[KeythL]

" '...out of step with the network’s emphasis on neutral reporting' "

As stated already, you have got to be kidding. CNN is only behind MSNBC and CBS on lefty love train of Mainstream Media.

[JoJo the Clown]

HA!

By, loser!