CBC defends choice not to air Cho video

The CBC was one of the few news organizations in the world not to air the controversial footage that Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung-Hui sent to NBC, including menacing shots of himself pointing weapons at the camera and a long diatribe against rich students.

Yesterday, Tony Burman, editor-in-chief of CBC News, staunchly defended his decision not to show the Cho video, saying he believes the public broadcaster distinguished itself from its ratings-hungry private competitors.

"This kind of coverage does trigger copycat killings and it's my personal fear that there will be another event [like the Virginia Tech massacre] -- whether in two weeks, two months or two years -- that we can trace directly back to the way many networks and newspapers broadcast these images," Mr. Burman said.