Editorial: A tough call for NBC

Friday, April 20, 2007 | 7:22 a.m.

When a package containing the Virginia Tech gunman's 23-page manifesto and videotaped ravings arrived at NBC headquarters on Wednesday, the network's news executives were faced with some tough choices.

With grief still raw for the families of Cho Seung-Hui's 32 victims, airing any part of the 23-year-old's ranting multimedia packet could be viewed as cruel - and NBC was immediately criticized for broadcasting it.

Soon after network officials realized what was in the package, they notified the FBI and Virginia's state police. The 9:01 a.m. postmark on the envelope suggested that Cho had gone to the post office after killing two people in a dormitory and before continuing with his rampage in a classroom building on the other side of campus.

The packet contained chilling footage of Cho pointing two handguns at the camera as he made rambling threats against those whom he characterized as "snobs" with "golden necklaces" and "trust funds." Cho declared, "You had a hundred billion chances and ways to have avoided today."

Classmates and professors already had described Cho as a sullen loner whose writings exhibited disturbing levels of anger. But now NBC News had videotape and pages of written material that provided another window into just how disturbed he was. Still, NBC executives held off on airing the material for several hours, working instead with law enforcement to determine what and how much of it to show on "The NBC Nightly News."

The footage is deeply disturbing - revolting, even. But it provides a glimpse into the sick mind of a madman who destroyed so many lives in such a short time. NBC's decision to broadcast it to a shocked and saddened nation was the right one. It is important that news organizations provide the public with as much information as possible so that people can gain insight and form an accurate perspective of the events that affect and move them.