The Nappy Headed Whoring Of A Tragedy

The Single Worst Editorial Decision In The History Of Broadcast News?
Posted by Hugh Hewitt

Soon after the press conference at which it was disclosed that NBC had received a package of print, photos and video materials from the Virginia Tech murderer, I interviewed Howard Kurtz about how NBC should handle it. (The transcript will be here later this evening.) We quickly agreed that any video should not be shown, and while I think that Howard thought perhaps a picture could be aired, I and the live audience I was broadcasting in front of disagreed. I would have published --instantly-- the text of the killer's statement's for the public to read, but I would have denied the killer the instant video glorification he so obviously desired, an immortalization which other deranged killers of the future will almost certainly seek to emulate. NBC decided differently.

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Showing Video Is 'Social Catastrophe'
ABC News

The videos of Seung-hui Cho, the man who fatally shot 32 people at Virginia Tech on Monday and then killed himself, shouldn't have been released because they don't offer the public any greater understanding of the gruesome crime, said Michael Welner, a forensic psychiatrist and ABC News consultant, on "Good Morning America" today.

"If anybody cares about the victims in Blacksburg and if anybody cares about their children, stop showing this video now. Take it off the Internet. Let it be relegated to YouTube," Welner said. "This is a social catastrophe. Showing the video is a social catastrophe."

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donkey adds...

I understand the desire in news to be the one that "breaks" and "owns" the story, but not only do I find the fact that they are airing these videos in the first place to be sickening, but I find the need to "stamp" the NBC news logo in the corner in poor taste and even poorer judgement. Ok we get it, the killer was apparently a fan of NBC.... is that what they want to be known for, is this what "if it bleeds it leads" has brought us to?

Just spare us the excuse (that every channel is using) that you are only airing the videos in an attempt to learn something in the hopes of preventing future incidents, and having Cliff Van Sant or Dr Drew Pinsky on air every five minutes doesn't justify it either. It's bullshit. You know it, I know it. Here's the lesson, he was a sick fuck who slipped through the cracks and murdered innocents. His "illness" didn't murder people. The "system" didn't murder anyone. This sick fuck did. End of story, now let the Hokie community mourn without having to see or hear this punk every five seconds. Leave the psycho-babble for the experts and enough with the glorification of a criminal.

...and one more thing, and I realize that I am nitpicking about semantics, but seriously... manifesto? It almost gives an air of legitimacy to the diarrrheic diatribe coming out of this murderer's mouth, and in my eyes acts as a positive reinforcement for future murderous losers contemplating similar actions. Enough!

That's that.