There are a number of caveat to Bronwen analysis.
In principle we should refrain from trying to anticipate the reaction to images or even simply words, by mentally disturbed persons, using the 'normal' people sensibility.
Would be like commenting a speach on japanese by a non-japanese speaking person.
Information on Virginia Tech massacre does not need any such desplay. It will be needed for forensic expert, for lawyers, and pshychiatry experts.
And possibly to Lawmakers who should be kept aware that some thoudands people in the US have the same criminal potential of Cho. Giving the public amplification that was given to Cho's determination to kill, is like elevating his ill mental construction to the level of the myth of the 'terninator' and of the omnipotent men of justice.
So it seems to be a misguided step. It contribuited to make poor people suffering and emarginated think that, at least once in life, they can gain attention worldwide, and escape their troblesome existance.

Gino, Milano, Italia

First let me ask the world what is so offensive about it . In my opinion NBC did the right thing. It matters to the humanity and prosperity of the well being of the other fellow students. I think there was the initiative taken by NBC to catch the causes led to the tragedy, more on apart from NBC, i think if NBC would not have exposed the truth, others would. So, its a great job and we should be optimistic about everything.

Syed Obaid Haq, Karachi, Pakistan

I believe it was the author Lionel Shriver who said that for some of those seeking fame it is easier to blow away a roomful of people (or words to that effect) than it is to win the Nobel Prize for physics.

Ann Playfair, Woodstock, NY

It was disgusting that this tape was made public . If he was alive, and this was part of his medical record, it could not have been shown. It's only reasons can be ratings and voyeurism. It will encourage every other "wannbe" to try something similar. The man wanted his '15 minutes'. He also wanted to be reviewed after his slaughter so the impact would be greater and he 'fame' greater. Thanks for pandering and encouraging the next sick whacko. I feel all in the Media will be in plausaible denial mode.

Desmond Taylor, Houston, USA Texas

I drew the opposite conclusion to Bronwen. The similarity in vocabulary and demeanour to the London bombers' videos seems striking to me. The difference lies in the mythology on which he draws in order to describe himself and his act.

If someone becomes cast lose from society and suffers a crippling mental illness to boot (who knows which came first, but I'd guess that both situations fed on each other), then mythology is about all he has left with which to understand his place in the world, so perhaps this makes the different kinds of messianic delusions understandable.

The big difference of course, is that he found his way to that desolate place on his own. The bombers are led there.

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

No! and thank goodness George Bush did not see it - he would have invaded Virginia.

loucapetown, cape town, south africa

And the reason in favor of broadcasting is what exactly? The author makes no such point. What have we learned? And what of the untold, immeasureable grief that these images had on the victims' families, children the world over who now have a new monster to fear, the subconscious of who knows how many people for whom this horror is more deeply rooted.

The fact is that airing this will only induce more of the same. There is much to be debated including gun control, campus security, student health services and disenfranchised youth. These horrific images took up valuable air time, completely silencing all such debate and broadcasting, yes broad...casting this evil hate speak. I'm sickened by it and the self serving media.

Macus Mayberry, New York

Marcus Mayberry, New York, NY USA

I'm glad NBC showed it. We, the public, would not have believed how psychotic Cho was. I, for one, would have continued to think he was nuts, but in control and making decisions that made some kind of paranoid sense, that he was just plain mean and therefore the tragedy could have been foreseen and prevented, and that prison and the execution chamber were the only needed solutions.we only needed to capture and

However, after seeing the video, I can see that he was completely irrational and that no amount of counseling, short of locking him up, would have helped. And they couldn't lock him up, because he hadn't commited a crime.

Why does it matter? It feels a lot better to know that illness, not just plain cruelty, caused this horror - but far more importantly that we need to change our laws to provide protection from this sort of thing and to provide adequate mental health care.

I also feel for the Cho family as much as for the other victims.

barbara, charlotte, nc, usa

Instant lifestyle, instant horror, instant thrill, instant oblivion. By next week no-one will remember except the relatives - certainly not the politicians.

Truth - people want safety. Other truth - there isn't any. Ultimate truth - we're all victims and we pick and move on or we die. Result - no-one cares if they aren't closely involved.

Real tragedy - if this insane gunman had survivied some smart-alec lawyer would have talked the courts out of a death sentence, not only insulting victims and survivors but also insulting the mentally ill patient by giving him less consideration than an angry dog.

Don't blame the media for making the process slicker - it's what you all want, along with instant email, instant food and no-mess kitchens.

You get what you ask for. Learn to live with it.

KR, Stockport,

The Cho Seung Hui tape was news, and NBC News is in the news business. I don’t want backroom network editors deciding what news I’m adult enough to know.

The public should have the greatest possible awareness about deranged personalities like Hui, what motivates them, how they appear and act, and the true monstrosity of which they're capable. If the authorities had allowed greater post-Columbine awareness of the Eric Harris and Dyland Klebold pathologies, perhaps public reaction in the intervening decade would have effected changes which might have obviated the Virginia Tech massacre.

There are many Huis, Harrises, and Klebolds among us. The most widespread possible awareness and recognition of these pathologies is the public's best defense against them.

Whenever we shut down knowledge about anything, we invite only our own ignorance; and much of of the world's evil has sprung from public ignorance and apathy.

Heads out of the sand, please.

Michael Grable, Silver Spring, MD/IUSA

Yeah his ramblings were sad, and his deeds were bad.

I have to say that the argument that if everybody on campus was armed it would have saved lives, is incredibly bizarre.......26,000 young hyped up armed guys and girls all trying to take out, in a state of confusion, the killer? Scary - sounds like a recipe for a bigger bloodbath.

Yes in some circumstances you can fight fire with fire, but you don't fight a petrol fire with petrol!

Steve, Norwich,

It's the copy-cat scenario by other nutters that submerges all other arguments for the unrestricted publication for posterity, of the insane perpetrator's name and details.

Edward Willhoft, Epsom, UK

The police being worried about people not being used to images like those in the video is a total red herring or they are completely out of touch with modern reality. Just go to the movies, watch "Saw" or any one of dozens of violence glorifying pictures. Or maybe play a video game where you are in the role of the killer. People are saturated with violent and distrubing images. Do you think maybe it has an adverse effect?

Jfries, Orange County, CA

I completely agree with Ms Maddox. This was the worst mass murder in the country's history. It was inevitably -- and quite rightly -- a huge story. Given America's penchant for murder, that's a good thing. When such events are no longer big stories, then we'll truly be in trouble.

Anyway, the massacre as big news. Media outlets have an obligation to cover such stories, and to investigate them thoroughly. It's not NBC's job to shield us from the ugliness that exists on our own shores. We need to know that people like Mr. Cho exist, in order to be better prepared for the next time someone like him shows up at a school, or a shopping mall, or an office park, weaponry and plenty of bullets in hand. The video helped drive the reality of the situation home. Yes it's ugly. Yes it's terribly frightening. And yes, it's the America of 2007. Mirrors, please, but no blinders. We all need to face the fact that events like this can happen.

Jasper, Boston, USA

I think NBC had a difficult choice. The presumption has been that Cho Seung Hui acted alone as a disturbed misfit, but in this complicated world of suicide bombers, there has to be that suspicion that Cho wasn’t entirely a free agent. I didn’t watch these videos, by choice, but it may be that NBC felt that they should be shown so that, whether or not there were grounds for suspicion that Cho may not have been acting entirely on his own account, it would enable these students, who are old enough to be drafted, to make up their own minds and clear any false impressions they may have obtained from a limited publicity.

Henry Percy, London, UK

To Murph, who wonders why the system "broke down": the system broke a long time ago. The mental health system in America is the red-headed step-child of the health care system in America, which is itself tottering on a financial precipice. Mental health care is expensive and those who suffer from mental illness often have no financial means to pay for treatment. Apparently that was the case with the shooter in this instance. No one is denying that he was (so obviously) mentally ill and in need of help. But, No one wants to pay for it. "Not with my money! No New Taxes" is the constant cry in America. I am willing to bet that the day he was taken in to Community Mental Health, they could not find him a bed in any mental health ward anywhere nearby. There are simply not enough facilities. There is no will to pay for them. This sort of thing will happen again in America, more than once. And so it goes.

Michele, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

The next time somebody goes on a murderous rampage (and they will, they will) and this time takes a camcorder along to record his killing spree, will the media feel it's their duty to give us every last, loving detail in glorious technicolour? You bet.

C.Watson, Colne,

First let me say that if a member of my family had been killed at Virginia Tech,I would not have gone on national television to discuss it.Secondly,I dont believe ,for once ,that NBC did this for money ,advertising, and ratings.
The man's actions show that he had thought about this for some time,planned carefully,and then executed his plan.Along the way he left a series of clues ,that we,with our twenty,twenty hindsight now recognize .
Many of the facts surrounding this case have been reported piecemeal and different.I still don't know if the judge said that this individual was a danger to others or not.I have seen it reported both yes and no.
The pictures and tapes that the killer sent to NBC provide some very clear answers.He acted alone.This was planned.It is going to be very hard to stop these individuals in the future.The public needs to know this.

ron, toronto,

So this is why the pending Mental Health Bill wants to incarcerate people who have not yet acted out their mental health fantasies. It was simply not possible to remove Cho from university or to have him committed until he committed some act, but now he is beyond treatment....and beyond redemption

TomTom, Leeds, England

Who needs to see this in the first place? Then again and agin and again, repeated in moronic fashion giving this individual and those who aspire more and more publicity of which they crave.

Deny these people the media attention they deserve and we'll all be a lot better off.

M.Johnson, N.Y.,

Oh I'm sure it was a "fierce debate"! I bet the only question was do you think Fox and CNN got a copy too before they tripped over themselves to get it on the air first. Its ratings lady...pure and simple. This showing didn't give anyone answers they didn't already have. He was a whacked out sicko. It didn't take his video to tell us that. His actions did. Will it promote copycats...you bet! Sure hes dead...thank God...but anyone else with the same insanity would see this as going out in a blaze of glory satisfying their need to be "somebody" in this world...and of course have a chance to spill their sick rehtoric posthumsly. The broadcast of his video answers nothing. It doesn't in the least bit tell us why the system broke down, despite the warning signs, allowing him to live and walk among the sane. It was an insult to the relatives of the victims. It was an insult to the people of this country. Only those of the same mindset as Cho would favor the broadcast.

Murph, Madisonville, USA/KY

When Plato pronouneced logos or living speech superior to the written word I think he prefigured YouTube Nation. This man's insanity is not the rat of the judicial lab. It is there for the people to see instantly and for that be relieved and relieved quickly. No protracted arrival at truth. Instantly gratifying verdicts. That's where we are. That's what the mob wants. I was relieved to know such an act was the fruit of a disturbed seed. And I was glad to know it now rather than 18. mos. from now after a long trial diluted my primal thirst for blood tortured MTV attention-span for so long it was rendered cooperative and confessing.
The release of this video brings us Old West justice. Things made sense quickly. I wasn't asked to rethink my beliefs; I wasn't left out to question for too unreasonably long. And for this I'm...relieved?

dion flynn, south orange, NJ, usa

I once interviewed a reporter from a local newspaper. I asked him if he would be happy to interview a mother of a murdered child just moments after the event so he would get to be first with the story - straight in with no consideration came the reply. Not even a thought to give the grieving parent a moment of space to take in the event. This is the MEDIA of today. They care not that the access to news of a potentially disturbing nature to young children is available 24 hours a day, both sides of the Atlantic and on BOTH sides they vie for command of air-time so they can sell more advertising. Before you publish, before you judge, before you condemn - just take a moment to look in the mirror and say - what if it was me being splashed over the news for the sake of a little bit more money. But I doubt these media types will see anything they understand.

Paul, London, Canada

Great of NBC to give this sick demented creep in death what he wanted in life , attention. Now every other sicko will want the same attention. Anything for ratings.

Paul DeMaurian, Baton Rouge, LA,

If Cho had been committed to a mental institution, that fact would have been displayed in the background check done by the gun store. Unfortunately he was never committed to a mental institution, but was instead merely ordered to be given outpatient treatment.

Ben, Houston, USA

I disagree the very fact he had publicity will entice other cretins with minor beefs to engage in similar acts of violence. The number of acts may well be increasing due to the news coverage.
Much of the Islamic violence across the globe can be partly attributed to publicity in one form or another. You could not possibly get that many morons on the same wavelength without it.
The moral of the story - don't give criminals and terrorists excessive airtime.

David Thijm, Stourbridge, UK

Cho was mentally ill, that is undeniable. his mind became a weapon against innocent people, it is a shame that American fire-arms legislation provided him, legally, with the tools required to commit such a heinous and despicable act.

Curtis Anderson, Gloucester, UK