Va Tech families skip NBC after it aired killer pics

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N19398228.htm

WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - Some family members of the victims killed at Virginia Tech university canceled interviews with NBC on Thursday because the television network aired video and photographs of the killer it received in the mail.

"We had planned to speak to some family members of victims this morning but they canceled their appearances because they were very upset with NBC for airing the images," said NBC "Today" morning program co-host Meredith Vieira.

...

While NBC acknowledged that Cho's images and rants were likely devastating to the victims' families and that its news division was split over whether to air the material, NBC News President Steve Capus defended the decision to do so, arguing it only showed a small amount of the images they received.

"This is I think as close as we will ever come to being inside of the mind of a killer, and I thought that it needed to be released," he said on MSNBC. "Pretty much every single news organization all around the world has made the same decision, that it was appropriate to release this information."

[gatorboy]

1. They should be ashamed of themselves for giving the killer what he wanted:

Attention.

But to be fair, every other News station scrambled to report the exact same material.


And, boy oh boy, is Nancy Grace ever happy!

[Rydz777]

17. Exactly right

In his sick mind he was already visualizing himself all over the TV screens.

[KharmaTrain]

38. The Killer Got What He Wanted When He Pulled The Trigger

Honestly, how can any of us try to determine logic in someone as obviously mentally ill as Cho was. Unfortunately had his previous cries for attention turned into some real treatment and counseling, 32 people would still be very much alive today.

So NBC has an affiliate in the "great beyond"??

[Lisa]

51. the Canadian Broadcasting people refused to air the footage

... and all but one of the photos (of him sitting in the car). They said they felt it was inappropriate, and also they'd been advised by forensic psychologists that it might encourage imitators.

[AuntPatsy]

2. If it had been my child I would want to understand why even if there

were no answers, I think simply that tensions and grief is so high but in all reality, they will one day want to see the face of the guy who took their loved ones if not to just spit on, in the end you always want answers, it is a human trait, why do you think so many people cling to religious beliefs so strongly? Because more times than naught there is no answers and that is just very hard for some to accept.

[uppityperson]

33. How about they do like they did for 9/11 families, private viewing?

Should not have been public.

[Radio_Lady]

48. I may be mistaken, but didn't they have the still photos of all the 9/11 perpetrators...

along with their names and country of original -- right there on your TV just a day or two after the event?

And there were security photos from Boston's Logan Airport and/or the Maine airport of those killers checking in? Later, they did run a couple of videos with their manifestos (in Arabic, but translated).

[uppityperson]

49. I was thinking about the audio from the plane that hit the ground

edited to add, not the pictures of the alleged hijackers. And yes, they did. They showed the planes hitting buildlings, collapsing, fires, etc over and over and over and over boo. Appalling then, appalling now, I watched ABC during that because they were the first to quit showing buildings falling down. I think for the media the same thing, sell air time. I think for the gvt, different and 9/11 was to invoke terror while 4/whatever was to, oh , I don't know. Perhaps because VT was 1 person and people can copycat it easier than hijacking planes, though I really don't know. Sorry, am confused.

[liberalnurse]

3. Amen to the victim's families.

MSNBC/NBC and all National Newspapers are nothing but profit hounding Ferengi!

[Marie26]

4. Good!

There was no valid reason for NBC to show that material - except for sensationalism & ratings. I can't even imagine how horrified the families would be to see those images. We should be remembering the victims right now, not the killer.

[taught_me_patience]

34. I think the public likes it.

hell I liked seeing it. NBC wouldn't do it if they didn't get ratings. The public has every right to see what's on these tapes, as it is crucial to understanding the mindset of the killer. If you don't like it, or the families don't like it, turn the channel. Its that simple.

[Marie26]

35. Why did you like seeing it? nt

[taught_me_patience]

41. It is a very rare opportunity

to see what is in the mind of a psycho killer. Its rare to be able to actuall VIEW his emotions.

[Marie26]

42. Lovely

Thanks for answering the question. Journalistic ethics & decency has gone out the window, and it's all about giving a mass murderer the fame he wanted for the ratings they want.

[taught_me_patience]

43. Disturbing - yes

creepy - yes
insensitive - yes

but is it unethical to show? Who is are the "ethics police" that will decide what is "ethical" enough to put on the air?

[BushOut06]

45. Journalism used to be an ethical profession

Would you consider it ethical to shove a microphone in a grieving mother's face and ask her how she feels about losing her only son or daughter? Maybe the public has a right to see her emotions?

Such things used to never happen in journalism, now it happens on a regular basis. We've just gotten so used to it, now we expect it - and some of us actually demand it.

[Marie26]

46. Here's a dividing line

What is the value of airing the images vs. the possible harm? Value - morbid curiosity, ratings & money for NBC. Harm - giving a mass murder exactly what he wanted & encouraging other disturbed individuals to commit violence in order to get "fame". This is a no-brainer. Or it should be a no-brainer, if these "journalists" actually had any ethics.

[jhain]

5. NBC will regret it

if not today - then the next time a shhoter kills and tries to out do the VT shootings...all because of theur money grubbing selfishness.

[SlowDownFast]

6. Good.

It's despicable to keep airing this shit.

iMuSNBC's prolly glad to have the opportunity to switch to MSNBCho.

Goddamn our fucking media whores.

[The Stranger]

7. That is their choice, but the notion that these materials shouldn't be publicly available is utter

fucking bullshit. We live in a free society, and people need to know what the fuck is going on. If you don't like it, then don't read or view it. But, whatever you do, don't try to infringe upon the rights of others to be informed.

[SCDem]

10. Just because something can be published doesnt mean it should be

There is such a thing as decency.

It's not as if nothing could be learned from these videos without posting them 24/7 on the news. First the proper authorities should see it and analyze it.

[The Stranger]

18. As an adult in a free society, I don't want someone else deciding for me what I shouldn't see.

You can if you like, but I can decide for myself.

[SCDem]

52. The media picks and chooses what you get to see all the time

i.e. We don't see the draped coffins coming home, we don't see the dead body on the street - we see a chalk outline. When I have lived in other countries I was shocked by the papers and seeing dead bodies actually close up on the front page. We do not have that here - not because the picture wasn't taken but because our media decides not to publish it.

In this instance I am only talking about decency.

But your "in a free society" comment doesn't fly with the constant censorship that is happening now.

[BushOut06]

16. That logic is utter bullshit

You're giving the killer what he wanted.

Why not push for the immediate release of the crime scene photos from the massacre? They exist - surely the public has a RIGHT to see them?

[The Stranger]

19. That logic is the fundamental building block of any free society.

I have a right to know what happened, and if you don't want to exercise that right, you can do so, but you cannot infringe mine or that of others.

How do you even know "what the killer wanted"? And who gives a fuck what the killer "wanted"? From what has been released, we know this person was either mentally ill or was physically and mentally abused by racists.

Once, in English class, the teacher had the students read aloud, and when it was Cho's turn, he just looked down in silence, Davids recalled. Finally, after the teacher threatened him with an F for participation, Cho started to read in a strange, deep voice that sounded "like he had something in his mouth," Davids said.

"As soon as he started reading, the whole class started laughing and pointing and saying, `Go back to China,'" Davids said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070419/ap_on_re_us/virginia_tech_shooting

We have a right (if not an obligation) to know these things about our society.

And you're right that the public has a right to the crime scene photos.

[BushOut06]

44. Really...

Try going down to your local police station, and tell them that you have a right to see their latest crime scene photos. Tell them that you don't give a flying fuck if there's an ongoing investigation, it's your goddamned right to see them.

Let me know how far you get with that.

By the way, judging that this guy went through all the trouble to make those video segments, then took the time to mail them to NBC, it's pretty damned clear that he was seeking publicity. I guess the fact that this could inspire future kids to commit atrocious acts for publicity means nothing to you?

[elehhhhna]

24. YOu couldn't turn on ANY (even local) news this a.m. without

your kids seeing pics of the assho!e with a GUN POINTED AT his own HEAD.

Can you say "desensitize"?

[IronLionZion]

32. I'm with you buddy

As disgusting and horrible it is, it needs to be shown. Just like the Abu Graib photos and the caskets of dead US soldiers and other horrible sights. They did the right thing and the families were right to cancel the interviews.

[xultar]

8. FAUX aired them too.

[trotsky]

9. Excellent. Very wise decision.

Fuck NBC.

[RB TexLa]

11. So only people in the news business and law enforcement should have seen them?

[SmokingJacket]

13. For now, yes.

It's like paying ransom or giving in to a terrorist's demands.

[BushOut06]

15. Can you give a good reason why they should be made public at this time?

Other than to satisfy the morbid fascination that people have, what good reason is there? Are you a professional in the mental health care field? Other than studying the material for mental health and law enforcement reasons, I see no rational reason that this should be in the public domain at this time.

[Rhythm]

12. Imagine being one of the kids who survived that lunatic's attack...

Turning on the TV, and seeing that all over again, staring down at you from behind those guns.

They should have just turned it all over to law enforcement without airing it, instead of going for the cheap, sleazy ratings.

[madame defarge]

14. NBC is dead to me. n/t

[orleans]

20. that's exactly what billo and faux friends want to hear! n/t

[Beelzebud]

23. What they want to hear bears little signifigance.

[madame defarge]

50. Well, to be specific & honest...

NBC, CBS (except for Letterman), ABC, FUX, CNN, & MSNBC are all dead to me. The only show I watch for news is TDS.

[bbgrunt]

21. i'm disgusted with KO these past couple of days. He has allowed

his "news" show to be co-opted by both the Imus mess and this ugliness. I really don't know who is calling the shots here, and NBC was more directly involved in these stories than the other stations, but I am really fed up with the non-atop coverage of a one-note story. Tucker, Matthews, and Scarborough can spend their whole 60 minutes on "political spin", but I expect that the first 20-30 minutes of KO to be dedicated to some real news.

[Beelzebud]

22. Good. NBC was sick last night. Even Olbermann disgusted me.

Olbermann had a psychologist on who was saying how he would definitely not show the pictures because they could inspire copy-cat crimes from more insane people.

As he was saying this, they were running a constant loop of the pictures.

Made me wonder if the producers, or Olbermann, realized how fucking idiotic it looked...

[Forkboy]

25. I'm proud to say I haven't watched a second of televised coverage on VT.

:puke:

[butterfly77]

26. This country loves to hide certain things from the public...

the only problem I see with it is that it is being shown now, while the families are grieving even though some will never get over it,. Inevitably, they would have shown it just as they have shown the two from the Columbine killings. All of the stations that are criticizing it sure haven't made any effort to stop showing it...

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. Well, I for one am glad they aired a picture of Cho, because it left

no doubt that the guy was a nutcase. Not Al Qaeda, or anything else the Bush Administration might exploit for its purposes.

[galileo3000]

28. Good for them.

[Tracer]

29. Let me be the first (and maybe only) one to say ...

... that I HATE to see families dragged in front of cameras -- whether willingly or not -- to relive some horrifying event.

You can always count on some smarmy interviewer (Diane, Barbara etc.) to ALWAYS ask them "how they feel".

Blech.

In my opinion, the families of the VT students should have a modicum of dignity --- and stay home.

[Kelvin Mace]

30. NBC is now an accessory before the fact

of the next mass murder.

They have assured future killers that their message WILL get out.

http://www.thoughtcrimes.org/s9/index.php?/archives/1888-NBC-News,-accessories-to-the-next-mass-murder.html

[proud2BlibKansan]

31. I agree with Capus

[Kerrytravelers]

36. CNN aried them, too.

[AZBlue]

37. Good for them. NBC & anyone else who aired it should be horribly ashamed of themselves.

These poor families have been through enough already!

[marshall]

40. Just wait

Before it's over Brian Williams will corner a grieving parent and ask them "How does it make you feel to know this deranged face was the last thing your child saw?"

[AZBlue]

47. That made me shudder - because you are so right!

If I see that, the TV's going right out the window.

[Supersedeas]

39. Tweety was so glib and chortling about the 'exclusive' NBC had.

[AbbyR]

53. I'm torn about this whole issue

As a journalist myself (small town, but journalist nonetheless)I think the video, at least perhaps an edited version, had its place as breaking news in the story of the killings. I wouldn't have run it over and over again, but once, as breaking news, yes. I could have my mind changed about this, but so far, nothing I have read had done that.

What I would NOT run is film of the dead and dying, or injured. These are victims and they and their families deserve privacy.

I also would never, ever, ask "How do you feel?" type questions of family members. Totally inappropriate, and always will be. I will, however, ask of survivors, if they want to talk, what they saw and heard, what happened, where did it happen, who did it, that sort of thing.

[newportdadde]

54. I don't understand why as a parent you would want to go on TV anyways.

If one of my sons past away the last thing I would want to do is go talk to some TV personality while millions of strangers watched. Infact I'd probably be curled up in a ball somewhere wishing I was dead if something happened to one of my kids.