Was NBC right or wrong to release the video of the VT murderer?

Question

I'm appalled that the victims haven't been buried yet and NBC has given their murderer airtime. What do you think?

Answer 1

On the one hand I agree with you. But--sensitivities aside, NBC was between a rock and a hard spot. Airing the videos, etc. was "apalling" in a sense--but visualize the position they would have been in had they attempted to NOT air them. That would have created a major ruckus over supposed suppression of "ffacts the people have a right to know." In short, once that envelop landed in heir laps, they really didn't have a lot of options.

I saw the first broadcast--and I will say they did make a real effort to handle the situation with as much sensativity as they could. The really frustrating part is that this psycho was able to continue his victimization from beyond the grave. Let's hope Lucifer tosses a couple of extra logs on the fire for that!

Answer 2

I am a supporter of open access to information. I am pleased that the images were available, but for some reason I feel like I am doing something wrong... or at the least, something that is not "right". It is death and violence to the extreme - it reminds me why I do not enjoy horror films, except this time it is for real.

I am not upset that I can read Cho's plays, or that I can see his photos. What upsets me is that for the last 12 hours his images have been the cover story. On MSNBC the top website image was Cho, arms outstretched with his pistols above large red letters with a changing headline that dramatized the event. It looked like a movie advertisement, or perhaps an album cover.... I felt sick looking at it. On CNN you could look down the barrel of his glock while looking into his dead eyes. I can only imagine how it would feel to be the family or friend of one of the victims and look at the last thing that their loved one saw - Cho and a bullet.

This info should be available to see, but not without a choice. Is life no longer precious to us to the extent that we are willing to hurt and disrespect those that are left behind with this force-feeding of horror?

In the end I will answer that I think that they were right to share, but they did it in a crude and insensitive manner.

Answer 3

I do question the timing of the incident, but i it is a news story, and in the name of competition, NBC released the story as a tool to get some kudos for their news division. It's not surprising. It won't change their ratings. It will probably make it even more popular.

Answer 4

i think of that's their top, thinking the way the police dealt with it. The government could have considered the stuff as information touching on an ongoing criminal learn and prevented the launch, a minimum of for now. i ask your self, if this guy new for useful that the commonplace public might by no potential see the fabric, might he have completed the comparable ingredient? i think of possibly not. consistent with probability sooner or later if human beings understand for useful they won't have any probability of being heard by potential of the commonplace public they won't be as attracted to doing certainly one of those terrible ingredient. some human beings will do something to be widespread, or perhaps infamous. A regulation could be considered to do away with the prospect of such textile being launched to the commonplace public, ever. that could very nearly do away with copycat crimes besides, and do away with countless the incentive those ill human beings could could do the comparable ingredient. It grew to become into thoughtless of the community to launch the video, yet they maximum in all probability sense that that's their activity to attain this.

Answer 5

It was appalling and horrendous that they would release and air this garbage while the families are still burying the dead.

To bury your child, and then hear a lunatic say it was HIS or HER fault, and THEN to hear "experts" analyze the video AS IF it made any sense at all.

That's like saying, "We won't release a rape victim's name, but here's the video that the rapist made of the attack."

Answer 6

I have no problem with it.

It was breaking news. As soon as the massacre was over, the world was focusing in on who did it and asking why. Those videos and the text in the documents seem to be the killer's answer. Granted, it made no sense, but that was his answer.

I do think that some of the pictures that he took of himself were in poses that attempted to glorify him. NBC could have held back on showing those...like the one of him with both guns pointing outward.

Answer 7

I think it is horrible of them to do this. By airing all of this, they are encouraging copy cat murderers, giving a voice to his brutality. It makes me ill every time I see the man's face and I turn the channel. It would be more appropriate if he had not killed himself, his tapes would be evidence against him. This way is in such bad taste and there is no reason for it, except to glorify the violence. The lunatic is dead, his victims are dead. The only thing left to do is for their families to mourn. The media sometime has no ethics. Nobody wants to see this except other sick people waiting to do the same thing.

Answer 8

On the View this morning Rosie O'Donnell said all the networks were wrong to air the footage because that's what the shooter wanted - to become famous. Rosie added that it only breeds copycats. The networks won't be showing it any more because of all the complaints.

Answer 9

I think it was breaking news and they are a news organization so I do not think they were wrong for airing it....however, I think that replaying it over and over and showing those photos over and over is insensitive to the survivors and the families and friends of those who lost their lives. Those people do not need to see those images repeatedly as they are trying to watch the news. Can you imagine having been in one of those classrooms where he was shooting and then turning on the news and seeing that picture of him pointing the gun at the camera? Enough is enough!!

Answer 10

I don't think of it as being wrong or right. It's a grey area. I kind of wish they didn't show it because the shooter wanted that. But I do understand that it is a news organization and they feel compeled to air it.