U.S. media to cut back on use of Virginia Tech gunman´s manifesto

Source: Xinhuanet | 04-20-2007 11:23

NEW YORK, April 19 (Xinhua) -- In response to public criticism, many U.S. news organizations, including NBC, on Thursday decided to cut back on their use of Virginia Tech gunman's final words and videotape.

Some victims' family members cancelled appearances on "The Today Show," an American morning news and talk show airing weekday mornings on the NBC television network, in protest against the release of the xenophobia manifesto.

On the videos and in his writings, Cho Seung-hui railed against the world, singling out "snobs" and "rich kids," and painted himself as a victim, saying the massacre did not have to happen.

"You had a hundred billion chances and ways to have avoided today, but you decided to spill my blood," said Cho. "You forced me into a corner and gave me only one option. The decision was yours. Now you have blood on your hands that will never wash off."

Cho also made reference to Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris -- the two teens responsible for the deadly Columbine High School shooting in 1999.

The package, whose time stamp showed it was mailed from the Blacksburg Post Office at 9:01 a.m. Monday -- between the shootings at a dorm and an engineering building on campus -- contained dozens of photos and a 23-page illustrated manifesto. NBC's Manhattan office received the package on Wednesday.

NBC began airing the video and pictures Wednesday evening, and other stations followed once the tapes were released.

Cho, a native of South Korea, killed 32 people on Virginia Tech' s campus before shooting himself on Monday morning. It was the deadliest campus massacre in U.S. history.

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