Some families of victims of the Virginia Tech rampage are expressing disgust and outrage at NBC News’ decision to air the photos and videotape that the troubled killer sent to the network.
The images and angry rants are riveting, to be sure, but is showing them responsible? It’s a tough editorial decision, but I think NBC could have shown more restraint and more respect for the grieving community by at least delaying the release of some of the more disturbing images and content and not giving Cho Seung-Hui what he so desperately wanted — an immediate platform for his sick views as well as a way to taunt his victims.
This reinforces people’s negative perception of the media as an unfeeling exploiter of tragedy.
Or is this simply news that people want to see and hear? And what about The Eagle’s decision to publish photos from the video? What do you think?
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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35 Comments
It is all about ratings, and not about taste or concern or decency. That is proven time and again.
I have nothing to base this on, but feel that this much tasteless hype/over exposure will encourage others to do the exact same thing. And more innocent people will suffer.
I wish this paper would remove his picture as well.
As soon as they opened the package and found out what it was, they should have stopped and called the police in.
This is reminiscent of the BTK mail ins to TV stations. The only thing that helped with those packages is that it improved the ratings of the TV stations.
It did nothing to solve the crime.
Raptor and Republican,I agree 100%. They silenced Imus for saying something stupid and give a mass murder all the media attention he demanded. Freakin disgusting.
NBC interviewed the VT kids after they saw the video of the POS holding guns. Some of them felt physically ill after seeing him. While they were running those interviews, the dip sh1ts were running the same photos. Yeah, THAT helped NO ONE but NBC. Real crap guys, real crap.
“This is reminiscent of the BTK mail ins to TV stations. The only thing that helped with those packages is that it improved the ratings of the TV stations.”
Actually, BTK mailing in the computer disk helped catch him, so there was more than TV ratings that came from that.
There is a decided “copy cat” effect that occurs in cases like this. Having the nation wide post-death platform that was given to Cho was exactly what he wanted. The preceding would be two reasons to not air the videos.
The guy who wrote the following book is fellow I know. It is the most comprehensive book on the subject. Some of the research on this “Werther effect” is kind of weak on the methodologica side, but it is still a fascinating subject and one I’m inclined to believe it does happen.
http://www.copycateffect.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Copycat-Effect-Popular-Tomorrows-Headlines/dp/0743482239
methodologica should be “methodological”.
BTW, Loren Coleman (the above author) was interviewed on NPR’s Day-to-Day just now.
NBC could have gotten a ratings bump just by acknowledging they received the package. A summary by a newscaster is all that was needed. There is no public interest served by showing the video.
Unless it is your goal to inspire a copycat. Then I suppose you should show the video.
I was amazed to see this on the news, especially over and over again. Whats new anymore ya’ see all the crap goin on over seas.I’m sure in some ways this can help but, others can harm for what they went through that day we don’t know as the people that were there. Some times enough is enough….
All media do it for ratings. SOme journalists think that since we have a “right” to know everything, we have a “need” to know.Focus on the victims, not the shooter. The study of His little movies and whatever should be left to the police, psychotherapists, and teachers/school administrators.
If the Media, the public would have shown the same level of interest in Cho’s life as they do his death, maybe we would have 32 student still alive.
The first thing NBC DID do was to call LE. They did not open the box, it was opened by the appropriate personnel. You can criticize NBC for showing bits of the contents, but they did do the right thing initially. Stick to the facts.
A right to broadcast or print does not equal a duty to do so. The media simply shows it’s irresponsibility when it does what NBC did here.
Acknowledge that it arrived. Turn the package over to the authorities; make it available to mental health professionals, profilers, etc., but don’t broadcast it.
On the other hand, we just can’t help but watch, can we? Just like slowing down at the car wreck and rubbernecking to see the injuries, we just can’t help ourselves. NBC plays into that to drive up ratings. I would not be surprised to see NBC next parlay that into self-promotion for their news division.
“NBC – the news source most trusted by psychopathic killers” makes for a good tag line, don’t you think?
The anger here should be focused on Cho, not the media. Honestly, there is no way to report this story in a completely benign manner. For obvious reasons, some of the focus had to be on the killer.
Look at it this way – if just one potential killer is recognized by family or friends based on the profile of Cho, well it would be worth it. Contrary to some opinions, MSNBC/NBC did not glorify Cho or excuse his actions in any way.
The media is not the problem – Cho was the problem.
NBC also made it clear that it was showing only small portions of the video tape and DVD of photos; to the best of my knowledge, the text of the “manifesto” has not be published in any way, other than the excerpts apparently being read on the portion of the videotape broadcast.
I have mixed feelings on this issue: in a perfect world, where revenues are not driven by ratings, the photos and videotape excerpts would surely not have been shown. Showing some of it does have a positive ratings effect I’m sure, based upon the factor identified by GMC and others above.
I’m concerned, however, as I think many are by the potential for “copy cat” murders. Balanced against the concern is the idea, posted upthread, that showing these excerpts might help someone identify a potential “Cho” and to stop him. My thought is that there will likely be more of the first than of the latter, should there be any effect at all.
NBC, of course, did not need to voluntarily turn these materials over to law enforcement authorities at all; broadcast could have been made of the portions thereof, and then sit back and await the subpoena. Not to congratulate the network too much, just pointing out the obvious (to me).
If people didn’t eat it up, the broadcasters wouldn’t air it. They only air what people want to watch, and ratings mean revenue.And I really don’t see anything wrong with shoving the violence in this country in everyone’s face, those that scream about personal freedom and the right to carry weapons are the ones who scream if they have to watch the consequences.
The headline of the Eagle a day or two ago was, “WHY?”Maybe the tapes help explain it.
Unfortunately its shocking to VT kids on campus around him, to finally hear his voice.
The images of his clowning around with guns should be shown. It’s how the victims tragically viewed the killer.
His background is coming out, he had difficulty talking as young child. Learned early how not to talk and let his feelings out.
Absorbed every abuse and bad words directed at him internally.
He blew his face apart, he doesn’t even look like that dead.
I’m sure his older sister and his parents are so freaked out. Horrible tragedy a family member caused.
We should continue to learn about those victims, good people who died.
Well, with some serious digging I think I found who is really responsible for this terrible shooting incident.
Now this may not be apparent to the media, but lets take a stab at it, so to speak.
http://www.passionateamerica.com/blame-cho-seung-hui/
Do you think the media will buy into this one…?
Or is it my/your/guns/moms/george bush fault..pick one.
It’s all about the cash. Let’s see which one of the CSI’s get the script out first or will the movie of the week be first or maybe they can hurry and secure the rights for a first run movie what ever way that goes somebody’s got an angle to mak a ton of money from it. Hey maybe the Eagle should take the initiative like they did with BTK and create a permanent online memorial to him. Just make sure that each of us can’t get enough of the morbid content and you can probably make a real fortune off of it.
I don’t think it will encourage people to do the same thing. Lots of stuff is shown on TV and people don’t run out and do it. The 9-11 planes flying into the buildings has been shown time and time again along with the names and pictures of those who did it and nobody is saying “gees, I will go out and do that so I can get on TV”. There are lots of easier ways to get on TV. Go to Oprah, Jerry Spinger, Jay Leno, Conan and they will let you in for free and you can get on TV. And, you get to go home afterwards!
They released is becuase people are hurting and want to try to understand why he would have done what he did.
The only guilty party here is the killer. Folks need to quit trying to scapegoat NBC, the university, the cops, his family and everything else. The fact is that this kind of thing can neither be forseen nor prevented. A person that doesn’t care about their own life cannot be stopped from killing others if they so desire. The same thing could happen again tomorrow at any college in the USA- or the world for that matter. You just pray it doesn’t and be thankful that, despite having a million or so nutcases in the country, this type of thing is really quite rare.
Just noticed Randy’s question: “what about The Eagle’s decision to publish photos from the video?
It’s hard to say. I suppose if something happens locally in a similar manner, one would always wonder if someone got the idea from a newspaper such as the Eagle or from TV.
But that would be 20/20 hindsight I suppose.
BTK was reported quite heavily, I don’t see or hear of any serial killers cropping up (I hope.)
The contents are overexposed now, so I don’t think another showing of it will affect most.
Of course it was a tasteless pandering for ratings. Still, we make fewer mistakes from too much information than from too little.
Normally my opinion on this is “do not give the fool his notoriety”, the two at Columbine I have intent to forgot their names. They are not worth my remembering them nor should their names be given a place in history. But right now, the first question was who did this and the second was the natural why did he?Both have now been answered and as I would suspect the answer to the second did not make sense. As I said on the first thread about the killings, “there is no sane answer for insanity”.The release of a small part of the total videos showed this, the news will beat this dead horse till the next unexplainable thing happens. There is a real need to answer the important questions, beyond that there is no answer. Again though, there is no making sense, no understanding and sadly there is no sanity in this insanity. There have been so many cases that could have been studied and analyzed but the short of it is that like certain other things. It falls into an example my dad once gave me, “Did you know the largest animal on earth, the Great Blue Whale has a throat about the size of a tennis ball? Do you know why? neither do I, that is just the way it is!”.
As I read through this blog, I shake my head. For the first couple of people think that the authorities were not contacted. Learn the facts before you comment. The FBI was there when it was opened, actually the FBI opened it, with caution, and since it was addressed to NBC they gave them the option on what to do with it. NBC had it all copied for their records, and turned over the original to the Feds. As far as ratings… Wow, just like all the other networks throwing out, should it be shown. Come on, you all know we wanted to see this guy, and if you didn’t, well, turn off the tv.
J-Dogg,
Then MSNBC is changing their story. According to a Vice President of MSNBC, their own security opened the package.
Shake your head at MSNBC for misrepresenting the facts.
Jed — Absolutley great statement — you should get your own column in the paper — it can only make it better –(see my Open Thread statement) — send it to the White House — maybe they’ll get a clue.
“Of course it was a tasteless pandering for ratings. Still, we make fewer mistakes from too much information than from too little.
Posted by: Jed | April 19, 2007 at 07:01 PM”
every news station refered to his rantings as rage against the rich…and so on…..
could it be that all the comments he made were aimed at the media themselves instead?….
what will our future be when all we are fed is fear and violence?…ill starve, i need to lose weight anyways
The type of people who are raising cane over the networks showing those clips are the same type who raised a stink over NBC and CBS firing Don “I Made A Stupid Mistake” Imus! I wanted to know what was in that package! If you didn’t want to know you have a choice. TURN THE CHANNEL or TURN OFF THE T-V! Simple as that! Why keep me from viewing what was in that package simpley because you think it’s inappropriate? I keep hearing, “The families are suffering enough!” Well, if they are looking at the evening news or at any TV program it would appear their suffering days were over in a pretty short amount of time. Shame on them not on NBC or any other network news org!!!!
I wonder why he sent the tapes to NBC, you’d think he’d send them to a network that somebody watched.
I wonder what you would have advised to your readers if Cho Seung Hui’s package was sent to Doha instead to be aired by Aljazeera?
What will you suggest to those who pursue the cure of theirimaginary fears by persecuting the press? To the knee-jerk reaction of the alarmists and those attempt to immitate distressed ostriches in desert sands?
It is the paranoia of a few which prompts a tendency to exaggerate the distress or danger and to dismiss any useful conclusions from seeing it.
Dirt bag journalism just like the TV station in town with BTK
I wonder if Cho used drugs, alcohol or watched violent videos such as “extreme fighting,” etc? I haven’t kept up with the story if this has been reported.
He was obviously schizophrenic. There are a lot of people out there just like him that fade into the woodwork. It’s only when someone like him does something this outrageous that anyone takes notice. It will fade again after all the hoopla dies down and the mentally ill will be just as ignored as he was before he acted out his delusions.
So true Mary. All too true.