Well guess what, leave it to the power of the people....my faith is 
restored..

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070419/ap_en_tv/virginia_tech_nbc;_ylt=As
KSka7_R1kUM4XAdw7dsb6s0NUE

Backlash leads to pullback on Cho video 

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.

NBC said the material was aired because it helped to answer the 
question of why Cho killed 32 people and himself on the Virginia Tech 
campus Monday.

"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."

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."

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."

NBC News said it had no indication why Cho chose it for his message. 
A Postal Service time stamp shows it was mailed at 9:01 a.m. Monday, 
during the two hours between his first shooting at a Virginia Tech 
dorm and his massacre at a classroom building.

___

NBC News is owned by General Electric Co. ABC is owned by the Walt 
Disney Co. CBS is owned by CBS Corp. CNN is owned by Time Warner Inc. 
Fox News Channel is owned by News Corp.


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