June 13th, 2008
I came back from an appointment this afternoon to the sad and surprising news that Meet the Press host and NBC News Washington Bureau Chief Tim Russert had died suddenly today of a heart attack. Not only is this sad for his family, friends and co-workers, but it’s also a sad day for quality news coverage. I was trained as a journalist and have worked at newspapers and a magazine, but in recent years I’ve become disillusioned with much of the news coverage and the “journalists” who deliver it. Granted, I’ve worked in the print journalism field and most (but not all) of my ire has been directed at TV journalists, some of whom I’d swear have never darkened the door of a journalism school.
Tim Russert was the type of journalist all journalists should be — dedicated, prepared, one who digs deep for the truth but who doesn’t delight in the discomfort or downfall of others (even if he was holding their feet to the fire), one who loved it instead of loving having their face on TV screens across America. It’s a little ironic that he came to his signature coverage of politics and politicians after working in the political arena. Maybe that’s what made him so good at it. He knew the tricks and talking points they used and didn’t let them get away with it when they faced off against him across the table.
And what’s really touching is that from all accounts, he was a genuinely nice guy, a wonderful family man, and a thoughtful and true friend. Not much makes Andrea Mitchell lose her composure, and she nearly broke down while talking about Tim on TV this afternoon. Same with many other top journalists who I could tell were struggling to share with the audience their memories of and respect for their colleague, their friend.