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Many no doubt wrestled with decision

Saturday, April 28 at 12:01 AM

Steffan Tubbs of Denver, 850-AM (KOA), writes:
In his critique of the media’s handling of the Virginia Tech killer’s manifesto, “Airing, publishing killer’s photos, rants reckless” (On the Media, April 21), Rocky Mountain News media critic Dave Kopel missed relaying something to the Rocky’s audience.
I think he made some good points, and many of them I couldn’t agree with more. However, Kopel blew it in regard to even hinting at the fact that there was great debate in likely every newsroom in the country as to how to handle the killer’s manifesto.
Thursday morning, after I returned from covering the killings from the scene for two days, our debate in the KOA newsroom began around 4:30 a.m. and continued throughout the show.
Certainly not everyone agreed to play those tapes, reveal the audio and show still photos. Others felt it was not the media’s role to play censor, to play the “parental” role.
Yet, in his column, Kopel painted the media as a one-minded monster.
This only adds fuel to the “we-hate- the-media-and-here’s-why” fire.

READER COMMENTS

Don't you think it's fair to be judged on the quality of the decision rather than the formula that led to it?

I do.

Posted by Charles B on April 28, 2007 12:27 AM

sorry but my feelings are that any debate was to be sure to show the guns are bad side of it. It has an agenda to it and has been covered so much and with the same theme that it trickles down from the top broadcast booth.
Ever wonder why we can see this over and over and its debated as to why, and on the other hand after a few days it was decided that watching or hearing about the 9/11 attachs was too much for the public. yes we saw the clean up and the work that was going on but never were the videos shown again.

Posted by on April 28, 2007 06:32 AM

Steffan Tubbs and the media will continue to air anything they can get their hands on when it concerns any kind of tragedy.

Any time there is a tragedy Tubbs will tell listeners "and if you were there, we'd LOVE to hear from you." It always sickens me that they say they'd LOVE to hear from you about a tragedy they'd witnessed.

Posted by Jon K. on April 28, 2007 08:08 AM

Stefan’s co-host also uses the same “we’d love to hear from you phrase. Dan Caplus on KHOW also uses this exact same phrase. Must be just how they operate. What I find ridiculous with Caplus was his indignation of the media publishing Cho’s photos etc. Caplus spent show after show on this, even criticizing publishing of the photo showing the police carrying out a victim. Yet he want on to describe that photo in every exact bloody detail. Then he says “but the photo shouldn’t have been shown because it does not respect the victim.” Hello! Descriptive words can paint just as effective picture in people’s minds as a photo. Sometimes more so. The media will always publish every horrific, bloody photo they can get their hands on. This is nothing new. They always have and always will.

Posted by Henry on April 29, 2007 10:15 AM

While I agree that the media, as usual, overplayed the publicity, letting people know the gory truth about such killings, rather that glossing over the truth, is what can motivate people to take action to try to prevent, or at least minimize, future tragedies. It is also true, however, that the media should take care not to publicize in a way which will be unduly offensive to the families of the victims.

An analogy has been the Bush administration's effort to hide from the American public the fact that Americans were coming home in coffins.

Posted by Truth on April 29, 2007 07:36 PM