It was sent only to NBC so the blame is solely on them imo
No argument there...


Chose money over common decency and sense
I disagree... although ratings certainly was a bonus, I do not believe that was the sole motivator for their decision to air it. I truly believe that they found journalistic merit in reporting it as they did. And I agree with their decision.

For the record, I typically do not watch NBC for my news. I happened to be tuned in last night and lucked into seeing the report. I certainly am no shill for NBC because I think their programming has been subpar for a few years now and that accounts for their sagging ratings. However, they tend to run neck-and-neck with ABC for the evening news, both passing each other up depending on the day.

Why do they need to impound something that NBC willingly turned over to them? They happened to make copies of everything and willingly turned them over to the FBI. How has NBC impeded "an ongoing criminal investigation"?


In a law enforcement sense, "impounding" means they could have accepted the material from NBC and not allowed any dissimentiaon of the materials pending the outcome of the investigation. A judge (usually) would then decide what should, and should not, be released.

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In a law enforcement sense, "impounding" means they could have accepted the material from NBC and not allowed any dissimentiaon of the materials pending the outcome of the investigation. A judge (usually) would then decide what should, and should not, be released.

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There was certainly time for the FBI or law enforcement agencies to seek a court order barring the broadcast of the material since NBC contacted the FBI upon receiving the package. They obviously did not see, at the time, any problem.

There was certainly time for the FBI or law enforcement agencies to seek a court order barring the broadcast of the material since NBC contacted the FBI upon receiving the package. They obviously did not see, at the time, any problem.

Right - but wrong. NBC did contact the FBI, but were directed to local law enforcement agencies. The FBI has nothing at all to do with investigating this case unless assistance is requested. BTW, the fact they didn't "impound" the evidence, as you just pointed out, is a mystery. It's certainly not standard practice in a crime of this magnitude to allow the evidence to be copied and used at will.

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Be that as it may, law enforcement was contacted and the materials turned over. NBC did the right thing.

Be that as it may, law enforcement was contacted and the materials turned over. NBC did the right thing.

For their corporation

For their corporation
Perhaps, but I still defend its use journalistically.

Additionally, to writerranger's point, here is a portion of NBC's official statement:




Upon receiving the materials from Cho Seung-Hui, NBC News took careful consideration in determining how the information should be distributed. We did not rush the material onto air, but instead consulted with local authorities, who have since publicly acknowledged our appropriate handling of the matter.

Be that as it may, law enforcement was contacted and the materials turned over. NBC did the right thing.

It's not a matter of it being the, "right thing." It's the law. If you have material evidence of a crime - you must turn it over or risk charges. No praise due here - they knew what they had to do.

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Did I praise them? I simply said they did the right thing. And based on the above quote from their official statement, they seem to be well within the law.

Again, Pug, I am blaming the law enforcement agencies and the local DA for allowing NBC to use this material. I know that NBC is trumpeting the fact that they were told they were using the material appropriately. But to many others in law enforcement, it makes no sense - none - and is being criticized.

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I've yet to hear a rational legal argument for not allowing NBC to use this material. Simply citing "ongoing investigation" as a generic reason rings as hollow as when the business administration uses it. How will NBC's use jeopardize the criminal investigation?

Perhaps, but I still defend its use journalistically.

Additionally, to writerranger's point, here is a portion of NBC's official statement:

They waited a whole 5 or 6 hours before airing it...Wow what careful consideration that was...Couldn't wait to get it out

Airing his rants and soldier pics has about as much journalistic integrity as the coverage of Anna Nicole

Anna Nicole did not massacre 32 people.

I've yet to hear a rational legal argument for not allowing NBC to use this material. Simply citing "ongoing investigation" as a generic reason rings as hollow as when the business administration uses it. How will NBC's use jeopardize the criminal investigation?

That's the point. Nobody knows until law enforcement has had a chance to pour over it. To allow NBC to copy it all and use it as they please was a crazy decision. As to how it could jeopardize anything? Nobody knows until they've had a chance to examine it all - carefully. NBC took it upon themselves to look at all the fine details and make the decisions as to what to air and what not to air. Sometimes in investigations, there doesn't have to be a legal argument for not allowing the media use of material/physical evidence.

I'll let you have the last word for awhile as I have things to do. We disagree - and that's okay! Have a good day!

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Sometimes in investigations, there doesn't have to be a legal argument for not allowing the media use of material/physical evidence.
Which amounts to prior restraint, which is a principle not often associated with or considered acceptable practinces in democratic societies.

I said I was gone....but I saw your last post and had to respond:

"Prior restraint" has been expanded to include things not originally intended by the Supreme Court in the Near decision back in the thirties. However, even then, public safety and police investigations were explicitly and specifically exempted.

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But that has to be demonstrated, not just stated.

I'm sure NBC knew that the video would just leak out onto the internet anyway, so WHY NOT air it? Like many of you said, it was a business decision. People are griping about it yet they stil lwatched it on tv and the internet, you are the ones fueling the fire.

I'm sure NBC knew that the video would just leak out onto the internet anyway, so WHY NOT air it? Like many of you said, it was a business decision. People are griping about it yet they stil lwatched it on tv and the internet, you are the ones fueling the fire.
:iagree: 100%

The 5:30 evening newscast is not the time to air shock videos from a mass killer. Sorry. I'm surprised that some of you would actually think that's okay! That used to be considered tabloid trash. Gory/sick/twisted evidence from police files leak on to the internet, but they aren't shown on the evening network news. Is that an award (reward?) reserved only for nuts that kill 32 people? Man, times have changed and a lot of it - like this - is just hard to accept - that people think it's acceptable. But my guess is many of you will be at church Sunday waving your hands and singing "praise" music; but bring on the shock videos of a mass murderer into our living rooms at 5:30! It's just too much to accept sometimes. To me, it's just bizarre.

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The 5:30 evening newscast is not the time to air shock videos from a mass killer. Sorry. I'm surprised that some of you would actually think that's okay! That used to be considered tabloid trash. Gory/sick/twisted evidence from police files leak on to the internet, but they aren't shown on the evening network news. Is that an award (reward?) reserved only for nuts that kill 32 people? Man, times have changed and a lot of it - like this - is just hard to accept - that people think it's acceptable. But my guess is many of you will be at church Sunday waving your hands and singing "praise" music; but bring on the shock videos of a mass murderer into our living rooms at 5:30! It's just too much to accept sometimes. To me, it's just bizarre.

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You continue to deny the probative value of airing and/or viewing the video. For some, it's sensationalism. For others, like myself, it's a search for more information about the killer and what may have led to this tragedy, in the hope of being able to identify the trouble signs that may become evident in someone that I may know or come in contact with. This is not a blood-thirsty quest for "tabloid trash." I, for one, avoid "tabloid trash" whenever I can. "Gory/sick/twisted evidence" would be showing the graphic images of the crime scene and the victims. That's something I wouldn't want to see on the evening news and would quickly turn the channel to avoid such images.

There is no disconnect in my mind between the honest examination of the evils within this crazy world and showing up on Sunday morning to worship God, pray for the victims, pray for those who may be thinking of doing something similar and pray for an end to such senseless violence.

Ultimately, it still boils down to personal choice. If you disagree with NBC's decision, vote with your remote control and your pocket book. It's a free country. There are plenty of news outlets. No one is forcing you to watch NBC News. If you don't like it, don't watch.

Please email out that thought to all the potential copycats out there pug...Like I said hope it doesn't happen, but this may add some fuel to some sicko's fire

Lot of mass murderers throughout history loved them some publicity and boy did they give it to Cho

Boycotting NBC isn't going to do anything to correct this...Damage has already been done

Please email out that thought to all the potential copycats out there pug...
How do I know who all the "potential copycats" are unless I study the profile of mass murderer so I can more easily identify other people inclined to such violence?

Again, I ask, please cite specific examples of copycat killers acting as a direct result of a report on the evening news.

If by studying you mean seeing how they pose with guns in front of a camera then I guess showing the video non stop was helpful

I would hope most people would know already that if you walked in and saw your roommate with a knife to his neck and a glock in his hand you may just want to alert someone

If by studying you mean seeing how they pose with guns in front of a camera then I guess showing the video non stop was helpful

I would hope most people would know already that if you walked in and saw your roommate with a knife to his neck and a glock in his hand you may just want to alert someone
There was more to what was shown and reported than that, and you know it.

Hey...Only my wife can call me lame...Sorry if I saw mostly pics of him posing about a 1000 times and just a few snippets of him ranting...They showed the same 5 pics over and over again....Necessary for your study Pug?

Just for that...Min Pin's are way cooler than Pugs!! :rock_guit

Hey...Only my wife can call me lame...


Sorry if I saw mostly pics of him posing about a 1000 times and just a few snippets of him ranting...They showed the same 5 pics over and over again....Necessary for your study Pug?
I saw more than "the same 5 pics" and I saw more that "pics of him posing about a 1000 times". If that's all you saw, then perhaps you weren't watching the same "explosive" NBC report that I watched. But perhaps here's the difference: I was watching the report for educational and probative purposes, not for prurient interests. I watched the one report and that was enough of the video and pics for me. The rest of my searching for information has been through reading. I wasn't interested in the sensational side of viewing the video over and over and over or seeing "pics of him posing about a 1000 times."

Just for that...Min Pin's are way cooler than Pugs!! :rock_guit
Maybe Min Pins are cooler than pugs, but I love my pugs nonetheless.

I saw more than "the same 5 pics" and I saw more that "pics of him posing about a 1000 times". If that's all you saw, then perhaps you weren't watching the same "explosive" NBC report that I watched. But perhaps here's the difference: I was watching the report for educational and probative purposes, not for prurient interests. I watched the one report and that was enough of the video and pics for me. The rest of my searching for information has been through reading. I wasn't interested in the sensational side of viewing the video over and over and over or seeing "pics of him posing about a 1000 times."



Fine you weren't watching for prurient interests (Whatever that means), but not all out there were is my point...My guess is this may persuade some suicidal idiots out there to try and make a point before they off themselves...It's already happening with all the school and mall shootings that occur, but these pics can only be potentially harmful not beneficial

Oh well...Hope you turn out right Pug...I'm just a little less optimistic I guess

My ultimate point is that the benefits outweigh the risks in the airing of that report. There may be a risk that a copycat will get some sort of idea from the report, but more likely the deranged person will get his motivation from the publicity and attention surrounding the event, not the specific airing of a video manifesto. On the flip side, researchers and the public can learn more about the psychology behind a mass murderer. If we can learn from this event and from the mental illness this murderer had, then maybe we can avert such a tragedy in the future by identifying the "suicidal idiot" sooner and take more proactive action.

My ultimate point is that the benefits outweigh the risks in the airing of that report. There may be a risk that a copycat will get some sort of idea from the report, but more likely the deranged person will get his motivation from the publicity and attention surrounding the event, not the specific airing of a video manifesto. On the flip side, researchers and the public can learn more about the psychology behind a mass murderer. If we can learn from this event and from the mental illness this murderer had, then maybe we can avert such a tragedy in the future by identifying the "suicidal idiot" sooner and take more proactive action.

That's the whole point of those who disagree with NBC's decision. It isn't just the "video manifesto," it's the whole publicity and attention surrounding the event. Up until the last 24-hours (since the networks have backed off Cho-TV) the images and videos and life of Cho have been the focus of the (your words here) publicity and attention.

We could go on and on with this and good people can see it both ways. In hindsight, I shouldn't have thrown the religious angle in my last post. That was wrong. Unless others want to weigh in, we've probably said all we can say on this and can just agree to disagree. It's a debate that has been waged all across the country and there's obviously two points-of-view and not much left to say.

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How do I know who all the "potential copycats" are unless I study the profile of mass murderer so I can more easily identify other people inclined to such violence?

Again, I ask, please cite specific examples of copycat killers acting as a direct result of a report on the evening news.

Author Loren Coleman has painstakingly researched the subject and has a book about this very subject ("The Copycat Effect"). He was recently interviewed on Larry King Live during a discussion on whether or not the Virginia Tech incident was inspired by other real and fictional killings. Columbine specifically. Also, you may be surprised to learn that the pictures released of the killer are nearly identical to scenes of a killer from the Asian gangster movie "Oldboy," specifically the scene where the lead character holds a hammer above his head, and another where he holds a gun to his head.

Here's a story about the book I was able to find on the internet. The article appears to point out a school shooting and echoed copycat killing a few days later:

Rocky Mountain News: Opinion Columnists (http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/opinion_columnists/article/0,2777,DRMN_23972_5048733,00.html)


Not to mention the countless bomb and other threats that have been occurring at universities all week since this event occurred.

Speaking of copycats, have you guys heard them talking about how schools need to pay more attention to people that show signs like this guy did and you know, red flag them. So what, if I'm pissed one day and decide to write something dark in my comp2 class I'm going to be watched from that day forward, and maybe made to go to counseling. Just the way they talk about it on the news, I feel sorry for anyone that is a lit. or movie major and envies Steven King in their writings.