I am terribly ashamed of NBC's choice to release the gunman's video. I not only blame NBC, but all other medias for taking pictures and quotes from the released materials and using them for the advantage of boosting their own sales. This action of releasing the materials is only giving the gunman exactly what he wanted. And NBC and all other news companies walked right into his trap. Did you not realise that you did exactly what the gunman wanted you to do? For once, put two and two together. He sent the materials, so that the materials would be shown around the world. I truly believe this was for your own financial gain. You can go on and say how the world should be realistic and see these sorts of people and identify them. You can go on about how we need to see this and how it provides so many answers to our so many questions of why he did this. But the only view that I see, unfortunately, is that the media released this for its own self. The damage the massacre had and has caused was enough. The media and all involved in releasing and spreading these images just put the icing on the cake. Congratulations. It just goes to show; what a poor, shallow world we live in.

I just wanted to add my voice to those who were appalled by your decision to air the gunman's video. It was not "news" in my mind. It may be helpful for law enforcement and psychologists in their work helping to deter or understand mad assasins, but it was not helpful to me. It was offensive garbage of a type that has already coarsened our public culture into shouting matches and a celebration of violence and misogyny. NBC gave this jerk the moment of fame he sought and made a ratings scoop. There are always people who will want to see a public hanging or a bloody fight to the death and there are always some publications that will want to publish such. NBC is right down there in the gutter with them. Sensationalism and hyperventilating characterize the nightly news program already. that's why I stopped watching Brian Williams a while ago. I understand he was very involved in this decision. That does not surprise me. I'm sure you will continue to attract viewers who like this approach to the news, but don't kid yourself about your high professional standards.

Talking about the innocent victims and their lives makes us more aware of what happened than seeing the pictures of a sick killer. stop showing this sick kid and show more respect with stories of the victims. NBC showed the videos because thats their job. i have watching the MSNBC for hours until they started to show the pictures and videos every minute. i'm not interested in the killer.
His parents, his school, and the gun shop he bought the gun from could have prevented all this tragedy. so we should talk about them and stop talking about the shooter like he is special. anyone sick like him can do something like that....i guess that's what we should focus on that anyone who can or thinking about doing something like this. is a SICK PERSON, so get help. Give the message for others to get help before because they are sick, not special.

I applaud NBC’s decision to inform appropriate law enforcement authorities upon the receipt of a packet of materials sent to them by Cho Seung-Hui, but I was appalled by NBC’s decision to air the much of the content of those many images, audio/video, and portions of the 1800-word manifesto on their NBC Nightly News broadcast.

This decision by executive and management at NBC exhibited little concern for the feelings of surviving families, friends, fellow students, and the community at-large who are experiencing overwhelming grief after this horrible tragedy.

While NBC news may have fulfilled it’s legal and professional responsibilities in promptly surrendering the evidence that they had received to law enforcement authorities, it in my opinion they abdicated they ethical journalistic responsibilities by making copies for themselves, airing on the public airways, and then distributing the content to other network and cable news networks.

After “benefiting” from this “exclusive news scoop,” NBC network executives’ decision-making process suggests a lack of sensitivity and common decency. Their actions appear to be driven more by regaining their #1 position from ABC news after finishing second the February 2007 sweeps. Instead of reporting a vitally important story in a socially responsible way, with the expected journalistic excellence that NBC News has been known for, they made a decision for which they should be held accountable.

NBC News had a choice. Rather than describing, paraphrasing, prudently editing and reporting what they had received, they chose to give a clearly disturbed and deranged individual another opportunity to brutalize a wounded community and nation by sharing actual video and audio images without regard to the real additional emotional pain and suffering that it would inflict on survivors.

Shame on NBC, shame on Steve Capus, NBC News President, and shame on you Brian Williams. Brian, as anchor and managing editor, you should have asked yourself what Edward R. Murrow would have done….and you should have said NO.

Rocco L. Pelosi
rlpelosi@yahoo.com

I'm tremendously disappointed in all of our media. They're giving credence to the crazy man who stole 33 lives, but there wasn't even 1 PERCENT coverage on the men and women who died in Iraq today -- and it was much more than 33! I feel horrible for the parents of the VT students, and I feel just as bad for those parents who have lost children in Iraq.

I was appalled by the extensive coverage of the video of the Virginia Tech sick shooter. The media has given the shooter the fame he sought! Airing a couple still photos would have been quite adequate and those who wanted to see the video could have gone to a webbsite.
I am awaiting the equal time that will be devoted to EACH of the innocent people he slaughtered. I am sure that friends and family of the victims will be able to provide hours and hours of photos and video that will pay tribute to the productive lives the victims lead!
Does NBC have the guts to air some 33 days of continual coverage to lives that were actually healthy and NEWSWORTHY? I realize such programing would probably not be a moneymaker for NBC but it might show that the network actually understands what real Americans want. Most Americans are positive and caring and resent having sensational and political "messages" shovel at us. Just REPORT the news, please!

Thank you.

In going forward, most of us would appreciate the air time being spent learning how to recognize these troubled individuals and knowing what resources are available to keep those diagnosed as a danger to themselves and others in treatment, away from our children and unable to purchase firearms.

We don't need guns pointed at us, even through the TV.

Keep up the good work.

Releasing Cho’s “action star” posed pictures is the most irresponsible piece of journalism I have ever seen. The pictures aren’t newsworthy and add nothing to the story, and NBC’s argument otherwise is nothing more than a pathetic attempt to spin public opinion away from what’s obvious, that the decision was based solely on the positive ratings impact the airing of the pictures would have.

Cho wanted NBC to make him a visible and permanent icon for all nihilists who reject the world of sane human beings, and NBC obliged. Hundreds of nihilist losers have now learned how a well-thought-out PR campaign can guarantee permanent worldwide fame, and are right now thinking of how to outdo Cho. Congratulations, NBC, for serving society so well.

When a Cho poster is found on the bedroom wall of the next mass shooter, I hope Brian Williams has the courage to acknowledge his role in creating the monsters to come

I think the video should of never been on TV it just made a so called hero of this killer.Just what he wanted more exposure

While I can definitely understand the families anger towards NBC, I think all the other outrage I've been reading today is completely over the top. ANY other network that received this package would have done the exact same thing (yes, even the holier-than-thou FOX News). Personally, I thought NBC did a pretty respectful job with it.

Peter Bright Says:

April 19th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
The decision by NBC News was ill advised and should NOT have occurred. The package should have been turned over to the FBI directly without copying any part of it.

That would have been in “the public’s interest, neccessity and concern”.

The forensics alone, were totally ignored in the name of sensationalism and morbid capitalism. The remaining issue was a moral one and we already know that THAT had no place in their collective lack of thinking.