Can CNN Regain Viewers' Trust After Dobbs' Departure?

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Lou Dobbs, the business reporter turned right wing pundit, is no longer at CNN.  He announced his resignation on his TV program, "Lou Dobbs Tonight", on Wednesday.  He was one of the cable network's first anchors when it went on the air in 1980.  He's being replaced in January by John King, who currently hosts the "State of the Union" program on Sunday mornings.

Dobbs' show was a rarity for CNN, a news network that tends to play it down the middle.  He had his own staff of correspondents, his own point of view, and was the biggest draw outside of Larry King.  Dobbs' questioning of President Barack Obama's birth certificate, and his calls for tougher immigration policies have been a source of embarassment for CNN as opposition groups called for his removal.

As for CNN itself, what in the name of Ted Turner is going on?  "The Most Trusted Name in News", as they like to call themselves, is losing in buzz and ratings to Fox News and MSNBC.  Heck, even HLN (the former CNN Headline News) is kicking their butts in prime time.

Because CNN is seen around the world, they have bureaus in nearly every country while the other networks have been cutting back on international news. They've had outstanding reporting in the past from Nic Robertson, Christiane Amanpour and others. But that doesn't mean American viewers are all that interested in, let's say, the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

The problem is, people don't want their news in a straightforward manner any more.  They want their news with a twist, delivered by personalities like Bill O'Reilly, Jon Stewart and Rachel Maddow.  And the more news about celebrities and pseudo-celebrities, the better.  The last time CNN got boffo ratings was in the aftermath of Michael Jackson's death.

What to do about CNN?  Instead of imitating the other guys, they need to re-assert themselves as the go-to channel for breaking news with unbiased reporting.  Of course, it does sound like tilting at windmills, doesn't it?  Fox News usually leads the pack when it comes to breaking news, too.  So CNN needs to go back to the drawing board.

As for Dobbs, he'll either be back on the air somewhere (his syndicated radio talk show continues) or he'll enter politics as a 2012 presidential candidate.  We're thinking maybe Fox News has a place for him.