NBC Releases "multimedia manifesto" from VA Tech murderer

Stylerod · 04-18-2007, 08:06 PM

So I get home tonight to find the "multimedia manifesto" on the front of Drudges page. I follow the link to NBC's website and they have a whole slew of pictures of him posing. I guess they have the video to play as well but I haven't clicked that yet. Here is what bothers me:

Cho already had his way with 32 people. He murdered them. He gave them no choices. He enacted his will on them. Now NBC has succumbed Cho's will as well. He sends pictures, vids, notes etc to be displayed to the public and NBC does just what Cho wanted. Now the parents and friends of those killed get to see him posing with his gun and see exactly what their loved ones saw just before they died. A madman pointing his pistol at them.

I would have loved it if they would have gotten it and said; "Fuck you Cho, you aren't getting what you want this time." and burn the stuff.

But, it gets them ratings, and I guess that is what is important. Shame......

6SpeedTA95 · 04-18-2007, 10:30 PM

Are they not supposed to report this stuff? I think perhaps turning it over to authorities and releasing hte information later would be a good thing but to sit on it would not be a good thing.

RMNIXON · 04-18-2007, 10:33 PM

When I first heard the breaking story about this it was reported that NBC had immediately contacted and turned everything over to authorities. They must have scrambled to copy everything first now that it is on MSNBC and probably all over the place by now?

6SpeedTA95 · 04-18-2007, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by RMNIXON

When I first heard the breaking story about this it was reported that NBC had immediately contacted and turned everything over to authorities. They must have scrambled to copy everything first now that it is on MSNBC and probably all over the place by now?

Yeah, my point is it should have gone straight to the authorities and they should have waited a bit before releasing this for public consumption. NBC was going after a ratings grab and it worked.

04-18-2007, 11:05 PM

I think it's disgusting to be honest. I can't believe they are showing the pictures and the video.

hsmith · 04-19-2007, 12:54 AM

They should have put it on the website and not aired it on TV. it just gives serial murderers more limelight. period.

Kytro · 04-19-2007, 08:12 AM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

Yeah, my point is it should have gone straight to the authorities and they should have waited a bit before releasing this for public consumption. NBC was going after a ratings grab and it worked.

They showed it becasue many people wanted them too. In any case, who cares what he wanted or not, he is dead, it isn't like he "gains" by the stuff being shown

Linzyhop · 04-19-2007, 08:55 AM

i was talking to my roommate about this last night. it's crazy that this kid even pre-meditated doing the video and pictures. When my roommate turned on the video to watch it, I left. I didn't want to watch it because it disgusted me.

gun violence is too close to home for me and if I were one of the victims' relatives, I wouldn't want to watch it either. I agree they should have waited, at least until after the funerals.

kinggovernor · 04-19-2007, 09:22 AM

bad showing nbc

Stylerod · 04-19-2007, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by Kytro

They showed it becasue many people wanted them too. In any case, who cares what he wanted or not, he is dead, it isn't like he "gains" by the stuff being shown

It just gives the next mass murderer inspiration to do even more and make a larger production out of it so his name and reputation will live forever. It plays right into what they want. Why would we ever give them what they want, dead or alive?

Scrum · 04-19-2007, 11:36 AM

Who cares?

It's all over every station now.

The only reason things like this are popular is because of the demand for it. Look at yourselves (in the public sense) for the reason why this was aired.

God forbid the media actually do something to make money. They are just a public service afterall.

Stylerod · 04-19-2007, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Scrum

Who cares?

It's all over every station now.

God forbid the media actually do something to make money. They are just a public service afterall.

Who cares? Seems a bunch of us care. Read this thread and it will be quite obvious.

I don't think they should have aired it. It would have been the "classy" thing to do.

And the media is a public service??? No, I think they are companies that are trying to make money. Which I guess is why they felt compelled to allow a mass murderer to dictate what they show. It was an "exclusive".

Stylerod · 04-19-2007, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by Scrum

Who cares?

Here are more people that care.

WASHINGTON (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.

Police handling the investigation into the shooting also expressed disappointment at the airing of the images and rants by Cho Seung-Hui, who killed 32 people and then himself in the worst shooting rampage in modern U.S. history.

"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.

NEW YORK (AP) - With a backlash developing against the media for airing sickening pictures from Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung-Hui, Fox News Channel said Thursday it would stop and other networks said they would severely limit their use.

NBC News was the recipient Wednesday of Cho's package of rambling, hate-filled video and written messages, with several pictures of him posing with a gun. Contents began airing on "Nightly News," and its rivals quickly used them, too.

Anchor Brian Williams told viewers: "We are sensitive to how all of this will be seen by those affected, and we know we are, in effect, airing the words of a murderer here tonight. . . . So much of it is so profane, so downright gross and incomprehensible. We tried to edit carefully for broadcast tonight." The segment was posted on MSNBC - MSNBC - Breaking World and US News Stories & Headlines - Get the Latest Business, Health, Entertainment, Sports, & Technology updates from around the world Front Page.

Former FBI agent Clint Van Zandt told Williams that the mailing was Cho's "ultimate victory. This is the way he's victimizing, further victimizing all of us, by reaching out from the grave and grabbing us and getting our attention and making us listen to his last rambling words and pictures."

Of course, no one forced NBC to broadcast those words and pictures. Capus said network journalists debated for hours what they should make public. "There are some things we haven't shown and words we haven't released that are more appropriate to hold back," he said. "Journalists have a responsibility. We're not just here to pass on in direct form raw video and complete documents."

Stylerod · 04-19-2007, 01:50 PM

And it ends up NBC was right. Allowing a murderer to dictate what they show really brought in the ratings. Congrats to them

FLASH: RATINGS BLOWOUT FOR NBC NEWS... 7.4 RATING/15 SHARE FOR BRIAN WILLIAMS AND CHO TAPES, NIELSEN OVERNIGHTS SHOW... 6.2/12 FOR ABC 'WORLD NEWS'... CBS COURIC AT 4.2/8...

motivez · 04-19-2007, 02:40 PM

I was one of the people who wanted to understand what motivated him to do such a horrendous thing, so while I think it would have been appropriate to delay it coming out while the families and friends grieve, I am glad to see that it's being released for public consumption.

While insensitive for sure, not releasing the information isn't going to bring anyone back. What has happened has happened, and nothing will be changed either way.

Hopefully they'll provide a better understanding of where someone who thinks like this is mentally.. and hopefully it'll help prevent future situations by letting people recognize some warnings signs.

I think releasing it on the website only would have probably been more appropriate from a sensitivity standpoint, but then the other networks would have picked it up and used it anyway, so..

Linzyhop · 04-19-2007, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

Hopefully they'll provide a better understanding of where someone who thinks like this is mentally.. and hopefully it'll help prevent future situations by letting people recognize some warnings signs.

or showing it could lead to a bunch of copycats (like the kid from S.C.) seeing how much exposure they could get if they did the same thing......

northhunter · 04-19-2007, 05:24 PM

I had the same thought, I hope some sick individual doesn't see the tape and think that he too will become infamous with the help of the evening news looking for ratings. I heard someone from NBC say they debated for hours before deciding to show the tape. I'm thinking I can smell Bull*$#!
This was a bad call pure and simple and I hope it costs them sponsors and the very ratings they were after!
At the same time I don't think ANY news network handled this story very well. Day after day of announcing "record number mass murder" and asking anyone who stood still long enough "how did it feel". As recently as this morning some networks were still brodcasting from on campus.
How long before someone decides all the attention could be theirs?
Then will they feel any responsibility? Any shame? I doubt it.

Kytro · 04-19-2007, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

Why would we ever give them what they want, dead or alive?

It is controversial, and even if it makes people angry they still often watch / look at it.

The idead that media will act in a responsible manner off the bat is expecting way to much IMO.

News media are not elected prepresentitves.

Kytro · 04-19-2007, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by northhunter

...
Then will they feel any responsibility? Any shame? I doubt it.

Not at all. Nor are they responsible for others actions, no matter how irresponsible showing the footage is

thomez · 04-19-2007, 06:42 PM

I believe they said they have released about 1% of what he sent them... and all was turned over to authorities first, though they have now said it wasn't helpful in their investigation and didn't tell them anything they didn't know already.

You had to know it would be released, it is a big story. A HUGE story.