dennis.ca

Is there anybody else out there who finds Lou Dobbs to be an agitator of the highest degree?

CNN's nightly program Lou Dobbs Tonight has been, for what seems like years, droning on and on about the "exporting of America". He interviews ambushes guests on a broad range of economic policy topics, but refuses to let them get a word in if the views aren't representative of his own.

I'm still not sure if this show is supposed to relay actual news or serve as a stage for personal editorial. His protectionist views are enough to make me cringe -- but then again, I always figured that impartiality was a well-understood tenet of journalism. That may be too much to expect of mainstream American media these days.

"In a detailed report titled 'The Two Faces of Lou Dobbs,' CJR Campaign Desk points out an apparent contradiction between the CNN anchor's 'crusade' against outsourcing and his print newsletter's advice. 'There comes a time when Dobbs takes off his anti-outsourcing hat,' Zachary Roth writes. 'That's when he switches from financial journalist to investment advisor-for-hire, peddling a monthly newsletter [it costs $398 for two years] containing his investment recommendations.' Here's the kicker: 'Of the 14 companies Dobbs has highlighted for investors since starting his newsletter last year, eight appear on his CNN website as companies that outsource jobs.'" (Source)

...And there's the rub.