Hundreds of thousands of businesses and individuals pay public relations firms and publicists weighty retainers to get their messages out - to break through to an audience. Ford Motor Company wants you to know they're "bold." Obama wants you to know he's experienced enough to be President. I want you to know that I'm the witty go-to guy on American Idol commentary.
The demented Cho has managed to become not only a household name but also a legend in record time - and he didn't have to pay anyone to do it for him. Sending his press kit to NBC may be the only rational thing he did - since NBC News took the bait (in record time).
Here's a challenge: Give me a single upside to NBC showing the video, even the stills, from Cho's press kit. (Sorry, no prize this time.) Just one good thing that will come from this.
Last night, I watched MSNBC for about 45 minutes. Three different guests (one profiler and one psychotherapist included) made it clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that Cho's "content" was worthless; that there was nothing to learn from his rantings; that he was probably, among other things, a paranoid schizophrenic. In short, his words had no meaning.
A couple of guests applauded NBC for handling the material responsibly. The endorsements seemed suspiciously planted. One guest went so far as to say that this material would have gotten out there in some other way had NBC embargoed it. Really? Then I guess I can still catch the footage of Steve Irwin getting zapped by the stingray.
You don't need to give me the downside to airing Cho's multimedia presentation: further desensitization, inspiring of copycats ... I got those covered. (Media neophytes Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris left their fans wanting more image-wise. Cho's iconography might be kind of hackneyed but it's plentiful, perfect for screensavers. A few may even make the leap to t-shirts, a la Patty Hearst. Or how about "Cho" instead of "Che"?)
Of course everyone else showed the meaningless footage, no doubt accelerating the mythologizing of Cho. (Jeez, it took Mother Teresa seven years to just get beatified.) This morning a Fox News correspondent stood in the hallway outside Cho's door room in Ambler. Room 2120. This was The room of The man who perpetrated The worst mass shooting in American history, we were told. How long before the plaque that reads "Cho Slept Here" goes up?
***
UPDATE: Some commenters say I'm supporting censorship. I don't think I am. After all, news organizations get pitched stories constantly - by Proctor & Gamble, by the DNC and RNC, and in this case by a lunatic. The editorial staff need to decide what's newsworthy. In this case, I think the sending of the tape is itself a story. The content of the tape? Not so much.
But speaking of censorship, does anyone else find it almost funny to watch and hear the rantings of a homicidal maniac - but with the naughty curse words bleeped? Wouldn't want to freak the kiddies out!
Mo Rocca has appeared on a bunch of shows, including 'The Daily Show,' 'I Love the 80s,'...
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The Legend of Cho (Brought to you by NBC)
Posted Apr 19th 2007 8:03AM by Mo Rocca
Filed under: Virginia Tech Shooting, Cho Seung-Hui
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Reader Comments ( Page 6 of 74)
76. I wonder why the campus didn't have camera's around the campus like on trees. Look you s emergency phones all around hospital parking lots why don't the colleges do the same with camera's we could have sen what time he ran accross the drill field etc... Robb Omaha Ne
Robb Brunelle at 12:28PM on Apr 19th 2007
77. I'm sure showing that picture of him pointing a gun at the camera is going to sit well with the kids that saw him doing that first hand while their classmates were killed.
Brian at 12:36PM on Apr 19th 2007
78. I work with mentally ill persons who have violent criminal backgrounds. They have an easy (albeit very disturbing) opportunity at obtaining weapons...this tragedy needs to stop. We must learn prevention and constant counseling to help....knowing this is not the "cure-all"....I feel horribly sad for the victims...we are all victims of the ills and "lack of" in our society, and yet we are also the "offenders" of atrocities. This is not a political debate involving religion, but "it is what it is"...a mentally ill person who was a paranoid schizophrenic with violent tendencies...add in "uncontrollable anger and depression" and it will equal to "an unfathomable, yet real, tragedy" of human life.
Kathy Boxton at 12:30PM on Apr 19th 2007
79. NBC owes the families an apology. They now have an indelible picture of Cho pointing a gun at theier family member. It is the last thing that person saw. Shame on NBC and all of the other media outlets who are making Cho the star. When there are copycats or reprisals against Koreans it will be the media who started the firestorm in having to have the BIG STORY
Lynne at 12:30PM on Apr 19th 2007
80. It seems to me that we're all spoiled brats.
We've got it so good,In fact many people in the US get by just fine living off the "poor me" system. You know who I mean.
And the rest of the US is only worried about getting paid. I know,I'm guilty of it too.
Well it isn't FREE!
There's a price to pay sometimes for all those freedoms, which is why this kinda stuff never happen's in any other country. Hello, is there a pattern here?
People everywhere are jealous of this "terrific" lifestyle that we're supposed to have, and these people tend to go bannannas.
Gun law's? Please, last time it was a couple of planes.
We the people all need to look in the mirror and say, your the a** hole, and you need to change!
Let's start treating one another better.
Let's make the world a better place! T.L.
Antonio at 10:38AM on Apr 23rd 2007
81. NBC took the bait?
How about AOL is feeding off of the crumbs as well as every other network.
Don't talk about NBC's responsibility when AOL and everone else is on that gravy train.
The only good that came of it imho, is it solidified my perception that he was so evil... Not just some lost boy.
Devin at 12:32PM on Apr 19th 2007
82. We are not the right people to judge him or think why he did this horrible act. After all God is the only person who can judge us all. We are near god's judgement day. The bible says, "things will get from bad to worse near the end". We only reap what we sow.
No one can really judge this kid, no one knew him. There for lets not opionionate what we think. In this life there is a "yes I know" or "NO I DON'T KNOW" there is no room for "I THINK".
My condolenses to all those on their loss. May god help you through all this pain.
Al at 4:20PM on Apr 20th 2007
83. SHAME ON NBC..THEY WILL DO ANYTHING FOR MONEY. Another blunder by them..now we will have nuts all over the country start planning their own attempt for fame, inspired by NBC's showing of this sick video and glorifing CHO's sickness. THE NETWORK SHOULD HAVE THEIR LICIENCE REVOKED.
Ed Pollocki at 12:34PM on Apr 19th 2007
84. We are all trying to make sense out of this senseless act. To rationalize the ramblings of someone who wasn't. To comprehend the incomprehensible. Why? To try to make certain, with KNOWLEDGE, it will NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!
Priscilla A Torres at 9:47AM on Apr 20th 2007
85. Nothing good every comes from pouring salt on the wounds and that is all the news is doing. We the public are to blame because we eat it up.
Kate at 1:03PM on Apr 19th 2007
86. NBC absolutely made the wrong decision. They gave Cho EXACTLY what he wanted, and NBC gave every other menatlly disbured person out there a reason to believe that they too could be on TV after commmitting a horrible crime. I guess that NBC thinks that the ratings bonanza is worth that risk. But I've got some news for the executives at NBC. Even though I regularly watched Brian Williams and the Todsy Show, I won't watch those shows anymore.
Al in Denver at 12:36PM on Apr 19th 2007
87. People are being rightous!
If any other station got it, they would have done the samething, they are just saying that because it was sent to NBC. We know how TV and Radio works. Please Don't Be Fools.
MINX at 12:41PM on Apr 19th 2007
88. The news media should be reported helpful information which I do not see them doing, rather than sensationalizing this.
through volunteer work I have learned about the Treatment Advocacy Center, www.psychlaws.org, which exists to "remove barriers" to treatment, which in some cases means forcing people to get treatment.
Cho should *not* have been released IMO given it was known that he was suicidal and in imminent danger from himself.
A lot of posters are commenting on mental illness as a reason but this is not a cause by itself. there are many mentally ill nonviolent people.
HOWEVER, according to the Advocacy Center, if an individual:
1 - has mental illness AND IS REFUSING TREATMENT
2 - is abusing substances
and
3 - has a history of threats/scary behavior
there is a moderate to high risk violence.
It is known that Cho fit #1 and #3. #2 is not known, but I would not be surprised if he had been abusing drugs and/or alcohol in an attempt to "self-treat" his illness.
Mary Katherine at 12:51PM on Apr 19th 2007
89. WHERE WAS TOM CRUISE AND HIS METAL WISDOM.
CLAWS at 12:43PM on Apr 19th 2007
90. The media will continue to show this film as it titillates a lot of the viewers even though it sensationalizes the killer. (Just what he wanted!) The media only cares about ratings, money, etc. They could care less about the responsibility that comes with reporting.
We need to stop giving these madmen the publicity they want and the future madmen the "instruction manual".
gjb at 12:45PM on Apr 19th 2007