Virginia Tech gunman Cho Seung-Hui’s multimedia manifesto, as NBC has described it, was delivered Wednesday morning to NBC headquarters in New York. The network immediately contacted authorities and made copies of the materials, which included 43 photographs and 27 videos of Cho’s rants. The package was mailed to NBC from Blacksburg, Virginia at 9:01 a.m., in between the first and second round of murders.
NBC chose to air a small portion of Cho’s package on its nightly newscast and said it would also broadcast parts of the videos on the Today Show the following morning. On its website, NBC has also placed a slideshow, video clips, audio clips and pages of Cho’s 1,800-word manifesto.
Cho’s multimedia package and NBC’s decision to air it have both drawn outrage from the victims’ families and others who say that the network should not have devoted air time to Cho. Before airing the videos on the Today Show, anchor Matt Lauer told viewers that some of the victims’ families were scheduled to appear on the show that morning but refused once they were told the network would air images from Cho’s package.
The families’ refusal to appear on the Today Show is understandable, according to some bloggers who argue that NBC has made a serious misstep. “NBC has just fulfilled the last wishes of a mass-murderer. Cho obviously wanted this exposure on national television and the only way to do this was to make a “manifesto” before taking dozens of lives. He sent the tape knowing full well that NBC would air it just hours after they received it,” said Morgan of the Water Glass. “It appears that once again when it comes to tragedy in national news, the victims’ friends and families take second place to ratings. Yet, when this type of tragedy happens again, the news media will be the first one to ponder what could [have] motivated someone to do this.”
Lawhawk of a Blog for All agrees. Comparing the video of Cho to images of September 11th, Lawhawk wonders why the media has not displayed the same level of sensitivity towards the Virginia Tech families. “As a counterpoint to the production of these images, we’ve repeatedly been told that many of the more disturbing images from the 9/11 attacks would not be aired out of sensitivity to the victims and survivors to the attacks because of the severe emotional content of watching such images. How exactly is this situation any different?” said Lawhawk. “People were emotionally wrecked hearing about the loss of their loved ones and/or watching their loved ones being carried out of the VA Tech buildings. They’re again devastated watching the news pimp Cho’s videos and images. Where is the decency or at least restraint in what should be produced?”
But some bloggers argue that NBC has made the right decision. “NBC was correct to report the contents of the package. In most circumstances, society is served better by the free dissemination of information, unless its release would put directly put lives in danger — like, say, exposing national-security programs that had stopped terrorists from killing Americans. In this case, the crime has already been committed and the perpetrator is dead. Holding back the material would boost all sorts of rumors about Cho’s involvement in any number of conspiracies, including radical Islam, that are already the subject of much speculation,” said Ed Morrissey of Captain Quarters. “NBC made the right decision to go public, and to work with law enforcement to determine which material to release at the time, as they apparently did. They unfortunately overshadowed that correct decision with the very incorrect decision on marketing the materials. They sensationalized material that absolutely required no such effort — and degraded their credibility as a result.”
But Karl of Leaning Straight Up contends that NBC isn’t solely responsible, most of the media — even bloggers — have been fixated on the unseemly apects of this story. “We are horror and tragedy junkies. We tune in with our skin crawling, our hands over our mouths and a stifled scream, only to change channels to make sure we do not miss anything. The Media Outlets package it up, seasoned with exaggerated claims and sensational tags, and feed it out to the masses waiting for their daily dose of “the bad stuff,” said Karl. “Take the Manifesto. How quickly did they rush it to air, and how quickly have the blogs and news media jumped on it. The pictures of this guy stare back at me from all sides. Not a single one will grace the pages of this blog. I may link to them but I will not display them.”
The decision to air the content of the shooters
video's was an uncomfortable, but needed awakening for the world. The dialog this brings, will allow those who were directly affected on the campus , and all those who follow this story, a picture of the huge loopholes in mental health care, in one of the " most advanced nations".
At some point, someone has to stand up to the insurance industry , ie: Mr.Cho's insurer and say, "hello, you failed, how could you not make sure this individual was treated?"
I'm sure over the years , this man saw doctors, and other health care professionals who duly noted his state of mind. I'm sure they cringed as they realized they had to let cut him loose knowing he was a danger.
I hope the community here can also remember his family , like was done in the Amish community.
Posted by Thinker on Fri 20 Apr 2007 at 10:38 PM
Just as many of the September 11 pictures were aired as the Virginia Tech incident. Sensitivity to the victims and their families is never paid. Ratings are more important. The decision to air the tapes and pictures was incorrect. They should have announced the package on the air and said it would be posted online for anyone to see who wanted to. To make everyone who turns on their television watch these images over and over again is wrong and should not have been done. NBC took the proper care to turn the package over to the FBI, but not until after they had already made copies and fit it into the schedule to be aired.
NBC should also be chastised for airing the final thoughts of a mass murderer. It was his goal to be the star of the news, and that should never have been fulfilled. He was crazy and it’s understandable that someone who could kill all those people might make a tape like that, but it should have been only shown to law enforcement first, and they should have assessed the affect of these pictures on everyone else, before releasing the tapes. By not showing the tapes, no one would have thought anything else. The only thing they had to say was that the images were too graphic for television.
Posted by Pixie on Fri 27 Apr 2007 at 01:14 PM
The videos shown were questionable as far as content was concerned. The timing was also questionable. I’m not entirely convinced that airing the videos was an appropriate idea, especially with family members of the victims in the studio, ready to give interviews. NBC directors and anchors weren’t thinking smart when they decided to air the videos publicly.
In order to understand the situation, you also have to understand what the victims’ families were going through. Having to deal with the deaths of their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and friends is bad already. Having to see the murderer on television is adding insult to injury. Media officials are stating that NBC made a poor choice in marketing the materials for profit, a claim that I agree with.
Posted by zackfeld25 on Fri 27 Apr 2007 at 01:34 PM
I think that NBC had to run the videos because they public had a right to know, but I think the media turned the attention the opposite way after. Showing the video was justifiable, however the media focused the attention on Cho rather than the sympathy of the families. One must agree with this. In the papers a few days after, all the headlines were about Cho, what his motives were, his family, etc. which was exactly what he wanted. I think the public media should have restrained from going that far, because it shifted the attention away from the true story: the victims at Virginia Tech.
Posted by ZackAttack on Fri 27 Apr 2007 at 01:38 PM
I agree that it was right for NBC to air the footage of the shooter. I think that the general public should know what was going through his mind at the moment of the shootings. However, it may be uncomfortable for the families of the victims to see. Despite that, NBC told viewers ahead of time when they were going to air the controversial footage. If parents did not want to see the footage they could have just changed the channel. While showing the footage may have been disturbing, it is very important for the public to have seen it. I believe that NBC made the right call by airing the footage.
Posted by JPG3 on Fri 27 Apr 2007 at 01:45 PM
It is understandable why the families of the victims did not want to see Cho’s manifesto; it was too soon for them. I hated how NBC decided to advertise when and in what shows they would show more of Cho’s manifesto. Also, of all shows, NBC chose the Today Show the same place where parents of Virginia Tech victims were willing to give interviews. The media is focusing too much on Cho’s manifesto and frankly I don’t feel we should give this killer a celebrity status and report on his tape anymore
Posted by Varela08 on Fri 27 Apr 2007 at 01:48 PM
In America, the land of the free and home of the brave, the press rules all, as it should. They are the voice, for the American people, by the American people, and while they also strive for ratings, they also care about American subjects, which American news shows anyways, as opposed to Intenational News. The people have a right to known, plus it's for a good cause. There is unneeded controversey, why can't people see that it's good for us to know, because if we just show ourself to ignorance then sometime down the near future, we will become a victim of another Virginia Tech. Are you a kind fan of that? I'm sure not.
Posted by MeKnowENGLSHlolz on Fri 27 Apr 2007 at 01:52 PM