Blogosphere responds to NBC's indecent act; Hugh Hewitt's response

Looks like bloggers everywhere are weighing in on this subject.

Hugh Hewitt, in his afternoon post, wrote, "NBC caused it to happen. I'm appalled by the other networks running the footage as well, but the chain of causation began with NBC --its act was the most outrageous of them all. Wrapping itself in the industry stampede that it started does not move the responsibility from their backs for any subsequent event triggered by any future killer who cites this video."

And he passed along NBC's spin - I mean, self-serving, buck-passing statement -- on its role in disseminating the killer's vile communications. Here it is:


"The pain suffered by the Virginia Tech community and indeed the entire country is immeasurable. Upon receiving the materials from Cho Seung-Hui, NBC News took careful consideration in determining how the information should be distributed. We did not rush the material onto air, but instead consulted with local authorities, who have since publicly acknowledged our appropriate handling of the matter. Beginning this morning, we have limited our usage of the video across NBC News, including MSNBC, to no more than 10 percent of our airtime. Our Standards and Policies chief reviewed all material before it was released. One of our most experienced correspondents, Pete Williams, handled the reporting. We believe it provides some answers to the critical question, "why did this man carry out these awful murders?" The decision to run this video was reached by virtually every news organization in the world, as evidenced by coverage on television, on Web sites and in newspapers. We have covered this story — and our unique role in it — with extreme sensitivity, underscored by our devoted efforts to remember and honor the victims and heroes of this tragic incident. We are committed to nothing less."

Call it a portrait of a news organization deep in denial about what it has done, desperate to retain a hold on its share of the media market in an era of diminishing returns for the Big 3 networks.