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Pulling Tech Killer Video
By Amy Wood
Thursday, April 19, 2007
I’m very proud of the decision in our newsroom, to pull back on the use of the new images of the Virginia Tech Killer.
We invited you to join our conversation about the use of the disturbing pictures and video clips and you sent a resounding message to stop airing them. We have an obligation as journalists to share the information with you. The information will continue to be shared. But the images running over and over again, would serve no purpose.
One Virginia Tech student called into our newsroom to let us know how upsetting it is to those most directly impacted by the crime. You could hear the pain in her voice as she explained how devastated the student body is.
We started the debate as soon as the images appeared Wednesday night. And by morning our News Director Ken Elmore made the call.
Here’s what he shared with us , “ The images coming from NBC of Cho and guns, hammer, video of threats and hatred are images we need to consider as offensive to our viewers. From this point forward I do not want to us to use any sound from Cho, none of the images of him holding guns or hammers. We should limit the video to just his facial image, and use at little of the video as possible. We are promising our viewers that we are curtailing our use of the Cho video and we owe it to them to keep that promise.” And Ken updated us a short time later saying we wouldn’t use the video either, we’ll just use still images from that tape. No weapons. No sound. No moving pictures.
We hope you’ll agree it’s the right move.
We have a discussion up titled Gunman Video on Go Upstate.
Amy Wood
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COMMENTS
Thank you.
I am also in agreeance with all those who think these pictures should not be aired. It is with deep sorrow that this should happen to many who are so young. I pray for those families who have gone through so much already over the loss of their children. I grieve for them also because the young are our future. In so many ways we have lost many already. Let us not give idolization to one who was obviously so ill. My prayer goes out to him also. How could one so young be so disturbed? We judge him now, but God will be his ultimate judge. BE BLESSED ALWAYS