Va Tech Shooter sends "images, letter" to NBC

I think parts of the footage are distrubing and networks should have shown some restraint in how much/what they showed. I just wondered why NBC got the package in particular.
It has to be hard for victim's families and people close to the situation to see this footage. This sick person who committed these crimes does not deserve the noteriety he has gotten from media networks.
The focus should be more on the victims, families and VaTech.

 

I disagree. It's news. People want and really need to know about this guy and what goes into his mind. Remember 911 when they showed the planes hitting the buildings time after time? After a while, you won't see the images.

 

That's a very Pollyanna viewpoint and certainly sounds nice.

But it's wrong.

People want to know about the person who did this, and for the media to tailor their coverage otherwise would be disingenuous.

And the two, by the way, are not mutually exclusive. The Maraniss piece we're gushing over is definitely tailored around the victims and will probably be the defining print piece of this news story.

 

Knute: What did you learn from the contents of his package that you didn't know before? We all knew he was crazy. We all knew he was mad at the world. We all know he had the ability to snap without warning. All we got was his hatred in his own words.

cnn.com has had this guy, with a gun up against his temple, as the lead photo on its home page for a couple of hours. Today I'm disgusted with a lot of media outlets.

 

Probably because there isn't anyone to blame but the gunman himself.

 

Well, everything I heard about him before said that he never said a word to anyone. No one could get him to talk or contribute.

This certainly shows a much difference person who was boiling inside.

I find psychology/psychiatry fascinating myself, and hopefully this shows that in the quietest, creepiest "weird" person that you come across, there are thoughts being bottled inside. No one's a blank page.

It showed me mental illness. It didn't just tell me what it was. It was powerful stuff.

 

It's not a "Pollyanna" viewpoint. I am not saying that networks should not have shown any of the footage.
I am saying that it should have been more tasteful. People are curious and the media has to satsify the curiousity. I agree that the networks should inform people about the killer; however, there is an extent when too much is too much.

I found that ABC's coverage was the best by far. One of the reporters did a great piece on students surviving tragedy for Primetime.

 

BULL SHIT.

Why did he do it, AMERICA NEEDS TO KNOW.

Most people know why he did it without without a bunch of Northwestern and Missouri grads telling us. He did because he's a sick fuck. Anything else said, at this time, just serves the purpose of a mass murderer. Why did he do it? Because he'll wanted to get on T fucking V. You served his purpose.
NBC, you are Cho Seung Hui's bitch.

 

ABC News did a poll as whether the video should have been aired and 5,177 respondents out of 7,659 repondents said no. 899 respondents said that there is a fine line and the media is skating along it.

 

An indefensible decision.

Two good arguments against airing the material here:

http://poynter.org/forum/?id=32178

 

That is exactly what the mail supervisor said...he opened the package, wearing the gloves required by all NBC mailroom workers (mandatory after the anthrax letter sent to Brokaw). They also showed a special machine used to open suspicious packages.

I did get the impression the FBI had already been contacted, and may have been present when the package was opened.

As for the extent of the coverage: Anyone can and should turn off the TV when the coverage becomes too intense or overwhelming. I can understand why some viewers might be offended and upset.

It's not up to us to decide what people NEED to know....but it's our job to report news. Anyone in the news media who honestly believes the photos and video shouldn't have been shown, shouldn't be in the news media.

 

Spoken like a non-journo. That issue aside, if showing the stuff makes us more sensitive to violence, takes it up from the video-game perception, then that's a bit of a good thing out of a very horrible thing.