[THS] CNN's Lou Dobbs problem just got a whole lot worse.

[Peter Webster]

September 1, 2009
CNN's Lou Dobbs problem just got a whole lot worse.
On September 15 and 16, Dobbs is scheduled to broadcast his radio show from
Capitol Hill as a leading voice of the annual "Hold Their Feet to the Fire" legislative
advocacy conference and rally sponsored by the rabidly anti-immigrant organization
Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
Founded by a man with a history of espousing racist beliefs and who remains on its
board, FAIR is labeled as a "hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Dobbs'
participation -- and, through him, CNN's -- will bestow mainstream legitimacy on the
rally and on FAIR, something FAIR recognizes and is bragging about to its members.
Dobbs must not be allowed to participate in this event. Email CNN and ask them to
stop Dobbs:
http://mediamatters.org/stopdobbs
CNN's association with FAIR through Dobbs is a major stain on an organization that
calls itself "the most trusted name in news." FAIR was founded by John Tanton, a
man who has a long history of making racist statements. In 1986, Tanton reportedly
wrote: "As Whites see their power and control over their lives declining, will they
simply go quietly into the night?" In 2001, Tanton even praised the work of John
Trevor, a notorious Nazi sympathizer, saying his work should form "a guidepost to
what we must follow again this time."
FAIR has been sharply criticized in the past for funding racially charged ads,
including several in 2004 targeting former Democratic Rep. Martin Frost and former
Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel that featured dark-skinned men loitering on street
corners and running from the police. In an editorial, the Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal
Star called the ads "trash" that "incite hate," "play upon stereotypical racial fears,"
and "are full of half-truths and lies."
And yet, rather than denouncing the group, Dobbs is scheduled to be a leading voice
at the upcoming FAIR rally. What's more, his CNN show has cited FAIR as a credible
source on immigration issues no fewer than six times in the last year. Email CNN and
ask them to stop Dobbs from participating in the event:
http://mediamatters.org/stopdobbs
As Media Matters has highlighted repeatedly, Dobbs represents an ongoing threat to
CNN's credibility as a serious news organization, in no small part because of his one-
sided and error-prone coverage of immigration issues and his continued use of his
CNN show to lend prominence to hatemongering groups like FAIR. The attention and
legitimacy he gave to the racially charged "birther" movement -- and CNN's support
for his actions -- did even greater damage to that credibility. But the consequences of
his participation in the upcoming FAIR rally would be far worse. It would officially put
CNN on the side not of credible journalism, but of a hate group.
Email CNN and ask them to stop Dobbs from participating in the event:
http://mediamatters.org/stopdobbs
Thank you for your continued help in holding CNN accountable.
Sincerely,

Eric Burns
President,
Media Matters for America
P.S. Encourage your friends and family to email CNN and ask that Dobbs be
prohibited from participating in this event --