Russert true giant in TV journalism

The News Virginian
Published: June 13, 2008

In the various circles where the old guard known as print media gather, it is popular to think of television journalism as oxymoronic. Televison provides sound bites, newspapers and other print media provide depth. Or so the thinking goes. Whether it’s the stuff of mere rivalry or something fouler to the smell, that thinking never applied to Tim Russert.
Watching Russert host NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday mornings meant witnessing political journalism as it happened. In an era when TV anchors increasingly openly display political preferences without shame, Russert could be relied upon to consistently query players from both sides of the aisle with questions that were pointed, tough and thoroughly researched. Guests on his show included the most powerful figures in American politics. All knew that appearances on his show required intense preparation to match that of the host.
His consumate professionalism won him the respect of people of every political persuasion. That was decidedly in evidence Friday, when former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw announced that Russert died of a heart attack. He was 58. The passing of the former aide to Democratic Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan was mourned by presidents Bush and Clinton and every political player in between as well as fellow journalists.
We humbly join the chorus. We can only imagine that somewhere, after years of celestial repose, Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson, among others, suddenly will face tough questions about their activities in the heavenly realm.