by Jerry Ceppos

NBC News did almost everything right in the strange case of Cho Seung-Hui, who mailed video and written rants to the network in between his moments of carnage at Virginia Tech.

NBC’s cooperation with the authorities almost has been overlooked, with most of the attention going to the issue of whether to air the video and report on the other material. But it’s worth saying that NBC’s first smart step was to call authorities immediately. The network had become a sort of accidental witness, quickly recognized that and did the right thing. (Wonder why the same decision-makers failed to move as quickly in the Don Imus case?)

NBC also was correct to air much of the material (and share it with competitors and other media). I usually argue that editors must bend over backwards to exercise good taste, protect personal privacy and otherwise worry about what’s going on the air or in print. But editors shouldn’t play God, deciding that innocent viewers just can’t handle a crazy man’s rants even if they help us understand him. NBC was right to air the video, apparently deleting the most objectionable portions. I even worry that NBC might have been a hair too cautious, waiting until the authorities gave the go-ahead to air the materials. I’m speechless about the Virginia State Police wishing that NBC had been even more cautious about what it put on the air. If I were the state police, I’d publicly thank NBC for its cooperation rather than critique its journalism.

NBC also made the right move in explaining its decision-making immediately rather than waiting for the equivalent of a Sunday editor’s column. I’ve argued for years that we should explain our decisions contemporaneously—and NBC did that. (Another nice example: The Raleigh News & Observer explained its decision to name the alleged victim in the Duke case at the same time that the name appeared.)

But I might have done more with the explanation. For example, I might have put Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, on the hotseat during the nightly newscast that unveiled the video. Instead, NBC left it to anchor Brian Williams to explain the decision, which he did well. But it’s always tough to report on ourselves, and NBC would have blunted some viewer criticism by handling the case as it would a media flap involving another organization.

However, that’s a nit. NBC, unprepared for a bombshell showing up in the morning mail, acquitted itself well ethically and journalistically.