With communications worldwide on an instant basis everyone with access to them better be ready to face reality at any time. The release of Cho's recordings was somewhat delayed but not much. At least they were not censored.
If a like event had taken place in other parts of the world, Far East, Near East, Europe, Latin America, Australia, not to name individual countries, does anyone think it would have been put on a public medium like TV?
The world is now totally different for all of us because of this ability to show news immediately and uncensored. If you and your offspring and those around you are not ready for this then you and they better examine your social mores.
Censoring it away is temporary and will not work.
Do you want to avoid it?
You cannot.
Ask not for whom the bell tolls.

Walter, Atlanta, GA, USA

We love to over-analyze everything. Why did he do it? The same reasons anyone (especially a coward) does something bad or mean to anyone else-he knew he could get away with it. i.e. Whip the kids, beat the girlfriend, kick the dog, pick on a skinny kid, shoot students on a gun free school campus...all the same thing, just different severity level.

Trust me- if he thought someone in a class was packing some heat he wouldn't have chose that class.

Troy, New Orleans, LA

"in the last days young men will seek death"...its quite simple really...its because living with the living is much worse... Hugh

Hugh, London, England

I take much offensive to this passage from this article...
"despite the mild American accent which showed he had drawn something from the culture"
For all intents and purposes, the killer was American. He came to America when he was 8, he had PLENTY OF TIME to learn English. And why does "lack of accent" matter? Does "Resident Alien" mean you can't speak proper English? He was a ENGLISH MAJOR. I'm left to wonder why every media outlet is focused on the fact that he wasn't an American citizen. Is this to distance the killer from America? Is it to get an apology from the country he was pretty much just born in? If that's the case, then the job was done quite well. Now Asian Americans and Korean Americans who share nothing except the color of their skins fear the worse. The media failed in covering this tragedy, stop repeating the same mistakes.

James, Los Angeles, CA

The only people who needed to see the video of Cho were the professionals. The public did not need to know the gory details. It could have been summarised and described to them through various other means. Giving such unbridled publicity to someone who has committed such a heinous crime not only treats him as some kind of 'celebrity' but it almost legitimises his action with such prurient attention. It also says a lot about the kind of society we are rapidly nurturing for the benefit of our kids who are seeking boundaries, guidance and encourgement.

Just where do we draw the line here? And if we are eroding that line daily when it suits commercial purposes and sensationalism, should we then be so surprised when we get more of the same and such brutality increases? At the heart of genuine respect is sensitivity and the media is rapidly losing that sensitivity in its rush to cross the line of simple human decency and empathy for its own gains.

Elaine Sihera, Maidenhead, United Kingdom

NBC was wrong. This was about money and ratings. Nothing else.

James, Tokyo, Japan

The need for strict regulation of gun ownership in the US is so obvious (in my view, it is one of those self-evident truths, you know), and the arguments used to defend the current availability of all sort of weapons are so absurd, that one wonders why nothing has been done about it yet. On the issue of the videos of this young man, I wonder if it is wise to broadcast the words of someone who has just massacred 32 people and then goes and sets himself up in the video as an inspiration for generations of the weak and the oppressed. The West has achieved great goals in terms of freedom of expression and other areas concerning welfare and individual liberties, but there is also a bit of a moral disease that needs to be taken care of very carefully, with moderation and tons of common sense, so we do not end up creating the conditions for the erosion of a well-balanced and morally sane society, far from the fundamentalisms which threaten it from several quarters.

Josemaria, Granada, Spain

Wrong of NBC to loan credence to this killer's campaign for self approval - we do care but this forum should not be a psychotic's outlet for his frustration and sick pathology.
Hindsight means nothing when the harm is already done.

Janice Ward, Halifax,

Saying he was simply, mentally ill, removes his guilt. He committed a pre-meditated act of evil. He knew exactly what he was doing. Mental illness removes his guilt and responsibility.
Not only that, airing his video and statements did exactly what he hoped, provided him with fame and an outlet for his murderous beliefs and urges.
You are wrong, and so is NBC. They will only make a martyr of Cho and encourage others to copy his evil acts.

Jonathan Strong, Sarasota, Florida, USA

To "swich off" is no longer an option in today's society. I wheeled my infant son into a resturant only to be greeted by the shocking image of a mass murderer's gun barrel.

I think it is silly to imply discussions of journalistic integrity and ethics had anything to do with this; the decision to air was obviously based on ratings. I wonder, were these newsmen shaken to receive the killer's manifesto? Or giddy?

We crave television like addicts - in my opinion it is no better than the most sinister opiate. Most "news" is not news at all; instead it is gossip and rubbish we would be far better off never to know to begin with. And in this case it was something far worse: the most disturbing, morbid content imaginable, content that sickens the stomach, the spirit and the soul.

I can find no single reason to air such material, nor to dwell further on this man's unfortunate life. His ravings provide no solutions, no answers - nothing but profound and lasting sadness.

Jeff Storey, Los Angeles, CA

Lets face it in the USA everything is for sale, or is there to be used for commercial benefit. Why should what would be regarded as normal human sensibilities anywhere else in the world get in the way of sensationalising murder to selling advertising space.

Nigel Brown, Stockport, UK

What nonsense! Days earlier the AP reported the themes of his hate-filled ramblings of a letter left in his room, so the public already knew of his attacks on the rich and "debauchery." We learn nothing from these tapes, as the shooter will only show us what he wants us to see him as rather than what he was; and psychologists already know the "why" in terms of a profile.
The motive for the release is obvious: greed (not only does NBC score big in the ratings now but it will encourage other mass killers who seek fame, which will generate profits in the future).

Jack, New York,

I notice most of the comments showing outrage about the showing of this boy's video are posting from the US: fotunately most of us in Europe are able to enjoy the benefits of a few impartial and independent news channels and are able to get a much better overview of what's going on in the word. What I mean is that yes, there are some news programs that are not...shock....ratings driven! Secondly, you have a choice...it's called the 'off-button' on your remote control. Spare those of us who want to see the full story and make up our own minds about it from your moral outrage, and think independently for once...

susie, London,

I can't believe how lax some laws in America are! I'm from Sweden, to get a gun you have to go through strict background checks, you have to aquire a hunting license which is the only purpose the gun may be used as. If it is used in any other way you go to jail even if it's self defence. We don't have a gun problem, granted it's a small country compared to the states but it shows a certain attitude people and the government employ. The right to bear arms is an outdated law that has no place in modern society, and if you need a gun to protect yourself then there's something seriously wrong with your society.

I, London,

NBC through their decison to air this discusting material which will no doubt contribute to even more deaths, shows that the American media is every bit as morally empty as Al Jazeera.

Daryl, Saint John,

gun law made it easy for him...weapon of choice not available in Ireland!

pat donnelly, limerick, ireland

..i would also like to add that im am mental..and have been for most of my life,,32 years ,,and of course i didnt know it ,,thats the problem with mental ilness,,the mental person dosent see themselves as mental ,,yet they send out red flags ,,and it was my red flags that i sent out and those around me who said ,,"u aint right ",,you r crazy"so i handle it like i have my doctors on stand-by 24/7..i have a padded romm on stand by 24/7..ive even let my local police department know that im mental ,,now that works both ways ..mainly if i should go on the deep end ,,they will know i have a mental condition and take that into consideration before they shoot !,,also as mental i know what triggers it and do whatever i can to avoid those situtation,,and if overwhelm seek my doctors ,,and boy do they fix me right up ..my last attack was 2 yrs ago and i was on seroquil 100 mg for over a yr ..im on nothing now ,,but i just want you to know ..please seek help and please get help for the cho,s

berkley carter mills, lynchburg , va

In some ways the video was reassuring. It would be far more distressing and perplexing if he came across as a 'normal' person. I also think that it sent a message to potential copycats that this guy wasn't very cool after all but just an inadaquate, evil,pathetic mental case.

Mick, Jakarta,

I must say that I feel the video was better shown now rather than sometime in the future when it had all begun to calm. If shown then it would simply bring it all back for the families who have suffered loses. At least now there are no more shocks to come. I also feel that at this time, people should not be showing outrage at the NBC but mourning the loss of lives and outrage at what has happened and why it was allowed to happen in the first place.

Simon, Gloucestershire, UK

NBC gave a mass murderer exactly what he wanted: a platform for influencing other people, a medium for inspiring other unstable or disgruntled people ideas to commit similar violence.

This incendiary video doesn't help anyone understand why he did what he did. That kind of learning comes from thoughtful analysis far removed from the prime time spectacle.

This seems like nothing more than a ratings play by NBC. How many millions of viewers saw this? If one of those millions sees this and goes on a rampage because this video looked so "cool", that blood will be on NBC's hands.

R. D., San Francisco, CA

Thank you Ms. Maddox for commenting on Cho's mental illness. I am saddened by the senseless killing of innocent individuals and my prayers are with their families and friends. Nevertheless, the Virginia Tech massacre highlights an important fallacy of our society: managing individuals with mental illness. By calling Cho names such as "scum" and "a-hole", we are assuming that he is sane when he committed the murders. From the his video, it is apparent that he needed psychiatric intervention. I agree with you that this is a man that needed to be in the hospital. We cannot blame the media or gun control laws. We cannot blame Cho. Blaming does not lead to change. As a society, we need to find solutions to prevent massacres like that of Columbine and Virginia Tech.

D Nguyen, Rochester, MN

Where is Cho now ?

derek bevan, Hunts/Cambs, England/UK

You could not be more wrong. There was ZERO reason, other than sensationalism and money--the hallmarks of my American culture--to broadcast those images. We already knew he was deeply disturbed and angry. We already know about the unpredictability of some of the mentally ill. What we didn't know we could have been told, without this extra visual and audio assault. We did not need this.

The worst parts were (1) airing images of his face on the other side of a gun barrel, knowing this was the very last thing his young victims saw--knowing their grieving parents know that, and the survivors. With the help of NBS, everyone's post traumatic stress was just worsened, maybe to the point someone else cracks. (2) airing his message of doing this for the weak and defenseless. Apparently the Columbine murderers empowered him, now thanks to NBC, others will be empowered by Cho. And why? money and ratings.

-a former VTech area resident

Carol L, Raleigh, NC, USA

Mr. Maddox,
Your supposition that NBC did right because America needed to see that CHO was insane is simplistic at best and at worst self serving. Give America credit. WE KNOW he was insane, the news told us why he did it and did not need to show us his ramblings but to tell us of them. Showing this persons video will only encourage others who have mental problems to do the same damn thing, and has victimized the parents and families again FOR PROFIT. NBC opened what it KNEW to be evidence of a crime and proceeded to use it to their benefit. That is a criminal act and should be prosecuted at the highest level. They have interfered with a police investigation.
They have assaulted the families of victims and your "Justification" is nothing more than pandering.
I am ashamed of NBC and of the news media's contact in general.
James Dicken

James Dicken, Louisville, Ky

I cannot understand how showing this video, playing the audio and displaying the photos helped viewers to understand what happened as compared to simply describing them. To me it is no different than showing graphic photos of an automobile accident or fire. I know what he looks like, I can visualize the scene. Running "his content" and "his message" is deplorable in my view.

James F. Laird, Columbus, Ohio

Well, yes, as a media outlet, you would say that. Let's not wrap this up as a noble cause, it was a journalist's wet dream, an exclusive scoop. Let's not pretend otherwise.

And what's this sanctimonious, all purpose excuse, "the public has a right to know"? The right to know what? And where do we draw the line? Whose sensitivities do we have to trample over in order to satisfy this right?

The fact is we do not need to see this disturbing video over and over again to be informed of the facts. This isn't about the public's right to know anything. This is about the public's 'right' to salivate over the prurient details.

S. Delaney, London,

Shame on you for doing exactly what this lunatic wanted you to do! I am haunted by the images. I am disturbed that you will go to any lengths to get attention. Don't you ever consider the victims and their families?

Barbara Johnson, Houston, Texas

I haven't watched this video at all and consciously choose not to out of respect for those who lost their lives and their families. It was aired in bad taste and would have better been suited to be viewed by mental health professionals as a case study. I have come to the conclusion that when it comes to ratings it seems anything goes and will not be watching this station for awhile. Exploiting a tragedy in this manner doesn't sit well. Do you really think the families care why he did it? Honestly, I'm not that curious as to give air to someone who inflicted himself on others so horiffically. In my eyes, it's garbage.

J. Cotton, Cincinnati, US

All the media coverage of this disturbed young man hurts the families of the victims. As a country, do we really need to see a mentally distrubed young man act out his sickness on national T.V? I think that the coverage of this young man may make him a "celebrity" to others who are distrubed, and encourage them to act out so they too can have their image all over T.V. , internet, and written publications. Why don't we focus on the victims' goodness and the heros who tried to help others?

Jan Reyna, Austin,

Disgusting decision to air these videos Any person wih half a brain knows the real reason, spare us the lies Too late to apologize and no need to rationalize The damage has been done More fuel for sick people to copy this disgusting sociopath The materials belonged to investigators, not to NBC Shame on money hungry and ratings hungry networks like NBC The same measure of mercy shown to Don Imus will now be shown to NBC by the American public I am through with NBC and it's affiliates and will work hard to make sure my friends and acquaintances do the same

Dianne Underwood, Smithfield, NC

To assert that the only safeguard against a mentally ill person purchasing a gun in the U.S. is "to tick a box marked 'Yes'" is evidence of a profoundly ill-informed opinion. Background checks are required prior to purchase, and mental illness is a reason for rejection. Cho was never committed to an institution, so there was no evidence of mental illness. Whether he should've been committed is the issue, not a "tick" of a box. Of course, we can applaud the tight gun laws in the UK for preventing the Dunblane massacre in 1996.

David Nevers, Van Nuys, CA, USA

So it goes.

Pete Scarvelis, Lakewood, OH

What is next?, make a movie for this killer?, please instead to talk about this psico, we can start talk about all the victims. NBC was one of my favorite channel but they ofend the families and the world showing that imagines

Patricia, Mclean, VA

NBC was right to broadcast the details and videos but all media should have obscured the name and face of the killer so as to prevent any future shooters from counting on a blazing mediai splash exit. Removing this incentive coupled with better gun control would surely end this type of crime.

Em Hawthonre, Ottawa, Can.

In some respects, it was right to show the video. We want to know why this person did what he did. On the other hand, he was mentally ill, and is it right to show someone who's plainly mentally ill?

The other, more disturbing thing, is that it's inevitable that showing this video will lead to copycat killings. We can expect that pretty soon. For many kids, this is a dream come true. To become overnight celebrities, go out in a blaze of glory, and be what they consider to be immortalized is way too tempting for a disturbed teenager.

Pandora's box is open.

Jack Lee, Austin, TX, usa

Thanks for giving us full details of Cho Seung Hui"s deed,

NBC made the right decision. We, the public, has a right to know.

Dorothy R. Phillips, Mansfield, LA

While it is alright to show the Cho story and the Virginia Teck event I don't think it should dominate the news for 4 hours an evening. On a news show it should be included but to have NBC come on again with 2 hours later in the evening with the same information and again saturation in the morning again it too much.

On the same day l57 people were killed in Iraq but there was no info on that except online. Are we getting so blazaa about the war that it doesn't matter how many of our soldiers are killed anymore.

Pat Seago, Mason, Bayfield Co, WI

amen
people are completely irrational in their distress
blaming everyone

would have been excoriated if didn't show
already available online, or would have been leaked

cinda, goochland, USA/VA

Lets face it in the USA everything is for sale, or is there to be used for commercial benefit. Why should what would be regarded as normal human sensibilities anywhere else in the world get in the way of sensationalising murder to sell advertising space?

Nigel Brown, Stockport, UK

I would like to join the chorus of peorple who are outraged by NBC's ill-advised decision to air the Virginia Tech mass murderer's crazed rantings. The fact that Cho chose NBC to hype his horrible rampage only serves to further underline the role which US mainstream media has adopted as enablers of dysfunction. We have a culture of violence both promoted and glamorized by the entire gamut of US media - be it movies, Television, or video games. And the crazies in our society can count upon being given the entire Media Circus Stage to act out their delusions. Pretty soon we will probably be witnessing the actual murders "live." We have become like the ancient Romans - insatiable for blood and entertainment. It is totally depressing and sickening to behold. ALL the networks are complicit and guilty but shame on NBC for reaching this new low in broadcasting at the expense of so many innocent families and their slaughtered children.

Vicky Deacon, Boca Raton, FL

Who are you kidding. We are becoming a society almost pushed beyond the brink of tolerability as to views of the horrors of life. We wonder why we can't seem to feel really happy no matter how hard we try. We blame ourselves. In actuality, those of us with high moral standards can't forget the cold realities of life. We don't know how to attack these problems as these people are so well protected by "the law" and what we can't do to stop these fully recognized mental monsters. There's far too many unstable minds that view that video as "cool" and a great support of their own monsterous acts coming down the road. Mental illness or not, that guy was a scumball that took the lives of valuable contributors to society. I think the families of all the victims should be the only judge of the correctness of that circulation, but my view is you're supporting your future investment in what's appropriate for the media to pass along, purely driven by ratings.

S, King of Prussia, U.S.A., PA

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!!! Leave it to the corporate media mongers to completely do the wrong thing in airing this disgusting footage. It serves NO purpose but to glorify the violent rantings of this sick man. Any benefit from the information could have been gotten with written descriptions. There was no need to air these videos. STOP NOW!

John McDole, Studio City, CA/USA