Media World: The Virginia Tech circus has only begun

If people connected with the Virginia Tech tragedy are annoyed with the media now, they are going to be furious in the coming months and years.

Now that the family of Virginia Tech killer Seung-Hui Cho has issued a public apology, the media circus around the worst mass murder in U.S. history will kick into high gear as print and television reporters, talk show hosts, lawyers and Hollywood agents descend upon anyone even remotely connected to the shootings.

Though reputable news organizations don't pay for stories, Walt Disney Co.'s (NYSE: DIS) ABC, CBS Corp.'s (NYSE: CBS) namesake network and General Electric Co.'s (NYSE: GE) NBC will make people's 15 minutes of fame as comfortable as possible. If they want to meet the star of their favorite TV show, I'm sure that can be arranged.

In addition, there are cable channels including Time Warner Inc.'s (NYSE: TWX) CNN, News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Fox News and MSNBC along with countless newspapers, magazines, Web sites and local television news broadcasts looking for a fresh angle to tell the story.

Here's how I think the media picture will play out.

First will come, the tearful interview with either the whole Cho family or his sister Sun-Kyung with Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric or Oprah Winfrey. I give Oprah the edge in landing this one because she's Oprah.

Then, will come Seung-Hui Cho biographies as 60 Minutes, Dateline and Primetime Live, find anyone who came in contact with the mass murderer. Dateline is the underdog here given the outrage over the airing of Cho's video confessions by NBC News. Also, keep a look out for multi-part series from the major newspapers.

Instant paperback books about the tragedy with lurid titles should arrive in the next month or two. More serious true crime and non-fiction missives will follow. It will be interesting to see if the Cho family cooperates with any of these projects or finds a ghost writer to tell their story. Is John Grisham busy?

Of course, we can't forget about Hollywood. Sleazy, made-for television movies should hit the networks next year to predictable outrage. In two or three years, more serious films will arrive in theaters. It will be interesting to see who sells their story for what price.

Finally, this all will be replayed on the first, fifth, 10th, 15th and 20th anniversaries of the killings as the media rehashes the tragedy all over again.