Daily Revolt

April 20, 2007

Virginia Tech Families to Press: Enough is Enough

The media has done it. They've compounded a tragedy with their unrelenting sensationalistic coverage. The showing of the videos of the killer is an afront to the victims of this terrible tragedy. And the families are speaking out:
A videotaped diatribe by the Virginia Tech gunman shocked victims' families and mesmerized television viewers, but police said on Thursday it yielded little for their investigation of the campus massacre.

The rational for showing the videos in the first place was that it shed light on the mind of the killer. Since when did the press become psychiatrists and police detectives:
Still grieving, students at the university expressed disgust at self-made photos and a disturbing video the killer mailed to NBC News on Monday when he paused during the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history.

Police handling the investigation criticized the airing from Wednesday evening of the images and rants by Cho Seung-Hui, who killed 32 people and then himself at the sprawling campus in southwestern Virginia.

Some TV news stations have been shamed into not showing the videos anymore. But this is just a minor recognition that they are part of the problem. The media is about profit and they will do anything to make that money. Offending families and glorifying mass murderers have little bearing on their behaviour. The coverage is still massive. They will milk this story for every drop of profit they can make.

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