“This is when being in the journalism business is tough,” a trusted observer writes to TVNewser.

“NBC News is taking enormous heat for airing and sharing the video and photos tonight. People do not understand the journalistic obligation to do so. The business has itself to blame for people’s lack of understanding because it has blurred the line between news and sensational news/entertainment.

All of us who are serious about journalism need to defend a news organization’s right and obligation to do what NBC did. And news organizations should show restraint in how much they replay the footage and air the photos.”