There is a fairly large argument raging at the moment as to whether NBC should have shown the video mailed to them by Virginia University killer Cho Seung-hui.

Its a tricky question for a number of reasons. The first question which needs to be asked is "Is it newsworthy?".

The answer to that of course must be "yes". Its eminently newsworthy, in that its topical, directly related to current affairs and of interest to the public.

However, that test isn't enough when dealing with something as sensitive as that. Questions of sensitivity and ethics need to be answered as well.

Watching the BBC news yesterday, they had a psychologist in the studio watching the video and attempting to analyse Cho Seung-hui's state of mind through the video. Apart from the fact that such a story is an obvious time filler, designed to plug the holes in information the BBC has, the story as they presented it had some justification.

People are interested in people. Its as simple as that really. If someone is going to go off on a killing spree, then people in general would like the opportunity to see what his state of mind is beforehand. Forewarned is forearmed after all and most people would like to think they can subconsciously recognise a threat like the one Cho Seung-hui presented - particularly if they have prior information about it.

I do believe that is a justification in itself. In addition, I don't like the idea that other people can have as much control over what harsh elements of life I can see or not see on my television. Cho Seung-hui was a disturbed young man, but watching the video shown on BBC, I could also see that he was dramatising things as well.

Whether or not he was a victim of the celebrity culture so prevalent in the western world is a subject for another discussion, but I do believe that he decided that he was out to make a splash. Which he certainly achieved.

Of course, that isn't what was going through NBC's collective mind when it showed the video. The chief thought going through their mind was 'This is a huge story and we have scooped everyone else to it. Our ratings will be massive'.

A lot of people are also saying that to show this video is insensitive to the families of the victims.

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. If Cho Seung-hui hadn't killed himself at the end of it, there would have been an incredible legal media carnival going on throughout the period of his trial and possible conviction. What effect would that have had on the families of the victims? At least this way the families will be able to see the video and realise that their loved ones were taken away by crazy man who is now dead himself. It doesn't bring anyone back, but it provides closure. Its not nice, but grief never is.

Such is the way of the mass media. Sometimes it finds itself doing the right thing, for the wrong reasons.