Thank you, Mass Media

[SilverNRed]

This Just In:

 

Backlash leads to pullback on Cho video By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

29 minutes ago

 

NEW YORK - 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.

 

Family members of victims canceled plans to appear on NBC's "Today" show Thursday because they "were very upset" with the network for showing the pictures, "Today" host Meredith Vieira said.

 

Virginia State Police Col. Steve Flaherty — who praised NBC Wednesday for coming to authorities first with the package — said Thursday he was disappointed with what the network showed.

 

"I just hate that a lot of people not used to seeing that type of image had to see it," he said.

 

"The decision to run this video was reached by virtually every news organization in the world, as evidenced by coverage on television, on Web sites and in newspapers," NBC said in a statement. "We have covered this story — and our unique role in it — with extreme sensitivity, underscored by our devoted efforts to remember and honor the victims and heroes of this tragic incident."

In my entire life, I've never heard a bigger load of bullsh1t.

 

I really like their logic too. "Yes, we did this horrible thing, but we did it with sensitivity! And even though it looks like the exact opposite, just take our word for it that we have 'devoted efforts to remember and honor the victims and heroes.' Oh, and everyone else totally did it too so don't blame us."

 

NBC and its MSNBC cable outlet will "severely limit" use of these pictures going forward, "Today" host Matt Lauer said, a restriction echoed by ABC News. At both CBS News and CNN, producers will need explicit approval from their bosses to use them going forward.

 

Fox News announced on the air late Thursday morning that it would no longer air Cho's material, saying "sometimes you change your mind."

 

These decisions, of course, came more than 12 hours after the pictures became available, after they already made their impact. The news cycle dictates they would be used less, anyway.

 

"It has value as breaking news," said ABC News spokesman Jeffrey Schneider, "but then becomes practically pornographic as it is just repeated ad nauseam."

Ya think? Do you fvcking think so? I love these fancy statements about showing all this "restraint" a day too late where they're really just trying to explain away how every single human being in the world with 5 or more brain cells could tell you this was a bad idea, but there's no one in journalism who fits that description.

 

Jon Klein, president of CNN U.S., said the decision to air it was a tough call.

 

"As breaking news, it's pertinent to our understanding of why this was done," he said. "Then, once the public has seen the material and digested it, then it's fair to say, `How much should we be showing it?' I think it's to the credit of news organizations that they are dialing back."

Yeah, a real credit. A huge credit. You guys should be giving yourselves awards for this stuff.

 

Good to know that !@#$ing up on such a grand scale was such a "tough call" for these people.

[Ramius]

Yeah, a real credit. A huge credit. You guys should be giving yourselves awards for this stuff.

 

The media giving themselves credit for pulling the tape from the air is equivalent to giving cho credit for stopping at 32.

[Sketch Soland]

I haven't been able to watch any of it. I refuse. It's just too sickening.

[DC Tom]

I stopped reading when I reached their "unique role" in things. Friggin' scavengers.

[tennesseeboy]

It truly is an all-out 24 hour non-stop assault on the senses. I woke up today and was busy doing stuff early this morning so never turned the TV on..and instead of Imus listened to music on satellite radio...I'm beginning to think that the incessant barrage of news is one of our most serious modern day stressors. They are really turning this tragedy into a wallow in pity a thon. Terrible thing...but lets pray for the families, learn whatever we're supposed to learn from this...and move on.

[DC Tom]

It truly is an all-out 24 hour non-stop assault on the senses. I woke up today and was busy doing stuff early this morning so never turned the TV on..and instead of Imus listened to music on satellite radio...I'm beginning to think that the incessant barrage of news is one of our most serious modern day stressors. They are really turning this tragedy into a wallow in pity a thon. Terrible thing...but lets pray for the families, learn whatever we're supposed to learn from this...and move on.

 

"And next, we'll talk to someone who talked to someone who thinks they once saw someone in a shopping mall who looked like Cho, and the effect the Massacre at Virginia Tech has had on their psyche and their plans for the future...after that, we'll talk to Professor Blather of the Harvard Media School about how the media coverage to the Massacre at Virginia Tech is affecting the media coverage of the Massacre at Virgina Tech."

 

At least my good buddy Lyndon LaRouche just says "It's CIA brainwashing through video games that's responsible" and drops the subject.

 

Edit: scratch that. LaRouche isn't dropping it. He's suing Microsoft over the shootings.

[Cornerville]

This Just In:

In my entire life, I've never heard a bigger load of bullsh1t.

 

I really like their logic too. "Yes, we did this horrible thing, but we did it with sensitivity! And even though it looks like the exact opposite, just take our word for it that we have 'devoted efforts to remember and honor the victims and heroes.' Oh, and everyone else totally did it too so don't blame us."

 

Ya think? Do you fvcking think so? I love these fancy statements about showing all this "restraint" a day too late where they're really just trying to explain away how every single human being in the world with 5 or more brain cells could tell you this was a bad idea, but there's no one in journalism who fits that description.

 

Yeah, a real credit. A huge credit. You guys should be giving yourselves awards for this stuff.

 

Good to know that !@#$ing up on such a grand scale was such a "tough call" for these people.

 

 

SilverNRed, it is good there are people like you and many others here who see the media for what they are: Ruthless. Completely ruthless and self absorbed in their own little twsted, sick world.

[Johnny Coli]

I love these fancy statements about showing all this "restraint" a day too late where they're really just trying to explain away how every single human being in the world with 5 or more brain cells could tell you this was a bad idea, but there's no one in journalism who fits that description.

Well, it's 5:20PM, and a quick run-through of the news sites you've directed your rant at don't have Cho's pics up anymore...except for Drudge (who you've never mentioned), who still has the "Cho from the grave" pic prominently displayed. Shall I start the letter-writing campaign, or will you?

[Simon]

i got the same level of info from just seeing the home pages of many news sites. You've got no choice.

Considering that I haven't seen any of the aforementioned video or pictures, I'd have to say that you're wrong and that you do have a choice. And if you choose to view the "homepages of many news sites" then you're part of the audience that they're targeting.

[SilverNRed]

Well, it's 5:20PM, and a quick run-through of the news sites you've directed your rant at don't have Cho's pics up anymore...except for Drudge (who you've never mentioned), who still has the "Cho from the grave" pic prominently displayed. Shall I start the letter-writing campaign, or will you?

I haven't paid any attention to Drudge in this whole thing, but every blog that has the pictures should have them down and never should have put them up in the first place. (And please don't tell me you were trying to turn this into a political thing just now, because that would be really pathetic.)

 

Buffalonews.com still has the "Cho with a gun in each hand" picture on their front page as well. There's no excuse or explanation that works at this point.

[IDBillzFan]

Considering that I haven't seen any of the aforementioned video or pictures, I'd have to say that you're wrong and that you do have a choice. And if you choose to view the "homepages of many news sites" then you're part of the audience that they're targeting.

The front page of my Orange Country Register this morning featured a 6"x12" photo of Cho pointing a gun directly at the reader.

 

I should probably stop reading the newspaper. And I should stop going to the grocery store. Or the 7-11. Or anywhere else that has a newspaper rack with a big clear window in it.

 

Just because you're a shut-in doesn't mean the rest of the world is, too.

[Simon]

The front page of my Orange Country Register this morning featured a 6"x12" photo of Cho pointing a gun directly at the reader.

 

I should probably stop reading the newspaper. And I should stop going to the grocery store. Or the 7-11. Or anywhere else that has a newspaper rack with a big clear window in it.

 

Just because you're a shut-in doesn't mean the rest of the world is, too.

 

I'm sitting here surfing the internet still in coat and tie after a day at work and then stopping at 6 different places on the way home. So I've been out and about as much as anybody else today and haven't seen any of this stuff. Why? Because I'd rather tune out the media than whine about its self-serving nature.

And yes, maybe you should stop reading the paper. Or you can continue to cry about their excesses while reading their product. The choice is yours.

[AJ1]

I haven't paid any attention to Drudge in this whole thing, but every blog that has the pictures should have them down and never should have put them up in the first place. (And please don't tell me you were trying to turn this into a political thing just now, because that would be really pathetic.)

 

Buffalonews.com still has the "Cho with a gun in each hand" picture on their front page as well. There's no excuse or explanation that works at this point.

 

What are you afraid of? This is the 21st century version of the suicide note...get accustomed to it. The ruminations of a deranged killer are too 'sickening' to comtemplate? How about the actual murderous acts? I find it illuminating and explanatory. Since when do survivors have veto power over public information? No, sweep the troubling truth under a rug so you can be comforted by safe thoughts. You should be confronting reality, not compartmentalizing the bad things because it's too upsetting.

[IDBillzFan]

I'm sitting here surfing the internet still in coat and tie after a day at work and then stopping at 6 different places on the way home. So I've been out and about as much as anybody else today and haven't seen any of this stuff. Why? Because I'd rather tune out the media than whine about its self-serving nature.

And yes, maybe you should stop reading the paper. Or you can continue to cry about their excesses while reading their product. The choice is yours.

You are a unique product. No question.

[Simon]

You are a unique product. No question.

That's about as diplomatically as anybody's ever been able to phrase it.

[meazza]

What are you afraid of? This is the 21st century version of the suicide note...get accustomed to it. The ruminations of a deranged killer are too 'sickening' to comtemplate? How about the actual murderous acts? I find it illuminating and explanatory. Since when do survivors have veto power over public information? No, sweep the troubling truth under a rug so you can be comforted by safe thoughts. You should be confronting reality, not compartmentalizing the bad things because it's too upsetting.

 

Because what it does is shows any other freak that if they want to get a message across, this is the way.

[RuntheDamnBall]

SilverNRed, it is good there are people like you and many others here who see the media for what they are: Ruthless. Completely ruthless and self absorbed in their own little twsted, sick world.

Mmm hmmm, ruthle$$. And who owns and supports the media?

[meazza]

Mmm hmmm, ruthle$$. And who owns and supports the media?

 

True. The information is there because people want to see it. As long as there are people buying it, they will continue to sell it. Morals be damned.

[SilverNRed]

What are you afraid of?

What am I afraid of? What don't I like about this? Alright, I guess I'll have to think about that one........oh, wait, that's right, I outlined that in the very first post to start the thread.

 

Here, try reading it:

It took NBC News about 60 seconds to put Cho Seung-Hui's videos and pictures on the internet and Fox, CNN, ABC, MSNBC, CBS, etc. couldn't follow fast enough. Did you lose a loved one on Monday? Well, here's a picture of the killer pointing the gun he used to punch a hole in your loved one right at the camera! WOW!!! Want video? Turns out it was your college student's fault too! Want a picture of the killer with two guns? Hell, he's everything he sent us! We figure it's the least we could do after he gave us such a great story. After he went through all the trouble of making creepy home movies and publicity photos and killing over 30 people, it's only right that he gets a forum on national television and his half-commando, half-Angel of Death photos in every newspaper in the world.

 

It's important for every sick, homicidal freak in the world to know that -- yes! -- you will be rewarded for killing people. You'll be more famous than you could possibly imagine. And whatever message you're trying to send, it'll get out there. No problem.

 

This is the 21st century version of the suicide note...get accustomed to it. The ruminations of a deranged killer are too 'sickening' to comtemplate? How about the actual murderous acts? I find it illuminating and explanatory. Since when do survivors have veto power over public information? No, sweep the troubling truth under a rug so you can be comforted by safe thoughts. You should be confronting reality, not compartmentalizing the bad things because it's too upsetting.

The "troubling truth"? This sick !@#$ was so messed up, I don't think anything he has to say has anything to do with truth. He's insane. There's no truth to be had by airing his nonsense and certainly no value in doing so, unless you want your ratings to increase or to sell a few newspapers.

 

But I'm glad you found his publicity media so "illuminating and explanatory." Seriously, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Meanwhile, families of the victims (hey, remember them?) were so upset by it that they were cancelling interviews this morning. But, really, who could have imagined that they wouldn't want to see pictures of this guy pointing a gun at the camera? Or video of him telling us how proud he is of what he's about to do?

 

But, hell, who cares if this hurts everyone directly affected by the massacre? There's no time to worry about that when we can use this stuff to entertain some douche bag like you. While we're at it, we should petition the police to issue photos of the victims. We can't sweep the "truth" under the rug now can we? And there's nothing more "illuminating and explanatory" than seeing some 20 year old college girl with half her head missing right?

[SilverNRed]

True. The information is there because people want to see it. As long as there are people buying it, they will continue to sell it. Morals be damned.

Some people find this "illuminating."