RIP Tim Russert...

[Piotr Rasputin]

Tragic news, for journalism and for those who appreciate quality, above board journalism.

Without naming names, my reaction now, after the shock has worn off, is to be disgusted and disappointed that a guy like Russert drops dead while a-holes whose careers are built on loud volume, rants and clear political bias continue to thrive. On all sides of the aisle.

With the public's perception of us already in the toilet, our profession cannot afford to lose the best of us. Beyond sad.

 

[markvid]

Tragic news, for journalism and for those who appreciate quality, above board journalism.

Without naming names, my reaction now, after the shock has worn off, is to be disgusted and disappointed that a guy like Russert drops dead while a-holes whose careers are built on loud volume, rants and clear political bias continue to thrive. On all sides of the aisle.

With the public's perception of us already in the toilet, our profession cannot afford to lose the best of us. Beyond sad.

But none of them will get the glowing, loving tributes that Tim's getting today.

 

[Pulitzer Wannabe]

I don't think this will be popular, but I think NBC is overdoing it. It's 20 minutes into the newscast and it's all Russert.

Believe it or not, there is other news. Let's hear about it, please.

I'd agree. ABC did less when Peter Jennings died, they all knew he'd be pissed if the other events of the day didn't take precedence.

Completely different. Russert died in his absolute prime, at a time when he had really come into his own, and right at the start of a general presidential election campaign which has already renewed a formerly apathetic nation's interest in politics and government.

My wife and I were trying to think of whose death in the news media would be bigger news. We could only come up with two - Barbara Walters and Matt Lauer.

 

[markvid]

I don't think this will be popular, but I think NBC is overdoing it. It's 20 minutes into the newscast and it's all Russert.

Believe it or not, there is other news. Let's hear about it, please.

I'd agree. ABC did less when Peter Jennings died, they all knew he'd be pissed if the other events of the day didn't take precedence.

Completely different. Russert died in his absolute prime, at a time when he had really come into his own, and right at the start of a general presidential election campaign which has already renewed a formerly apathetic nation's interest in politics and government.

My wife and I were trying to think of whose death in the news media would be bigger news. We could only come up with two - Barbara Walters and Matt Lauer.

Cronkite.

 

[Chi City 81]

I don't think this will be popular, but I think NBC is overdoing it. It's 20 minutes into the newscast and it's all Russert.

Believe it or not, there is other news. Let's hear about it, please.

I'd agree. ABC did less when Peter Jennings died, they all knew he'd be pissed if the other events of the day didn't take precedence.

Completely different. Russert died in his absolute prime, at a time when he had really come into his own, and right at the start of a general presidential election campaign which has already renewed a formerly apathetic nation's interest in politics and government.

My wife and I were trying to think of whose death in the news media would be bigger news. We could only come up with two - Barbara Walters and Matt Lauer.

Cronkite.

Also Bob Woodward, IMO.

 

[markvid]

I don't think this will be popular, but I think NBC is overdoing it. It's 20 minutes into the newscast and it's all Russert.

Believe it or not, there is other news. Let's hear about it, please.

I'd agree. ABC did less when Peter Jennings died, they all knew he'd be pissed if the other events of the day didn't take precedence.

Completely different. Russert died in his absolute prime, at a time when he had really come into his own, and right at the start of a general presidential election campaign which has already renewed a formerly apathetic nation's interest in politics and government.

My wife and I were trying to think of whose death in the news media would be bigger news. We could only come up with two - Barbara Walters and Matt Lauer.

Cronkite.

Also Bob Woodward, IMO.

Nah. Not well-known enough outside journo circles.

 

[playthrough]

I don't think this will be popular, but I think NBC is overdoing it. It's 20 minutes into the newscast and it's all Russert.

Believe it or not, there is other news. Let's hear about it, please.

I'd agree. ABC did less when Peter Jennings died, they all knew he'd be pissed if the other events of the day didn't take precedence.

Completely different. Russert died in his absolute prime, at a time when he had really come into his own, and right at the start of a general presidential election campaign which has already renewed a formerly apathetic nation's interest in politics and government.

My wife and I were trying to think of whose death in the news media would be bigger news. We could only come up with two - Barbara Walters and Matt Lauer.

Agreed. I don't know if that news could be overplayed today. I certainly have zero problem with Russert's own network using the lion's share of its newscast tonight to talk about what is unquestionably the biggest news of the day. Probably a little therapeutic too.

 

[ondeadline]

He was my favorite political commentator and made Meet The Press a can't miss. I remember last weekend after Hillary's exit speech, I was watching MSNBC because I was waiting to hear what Russert had to say about it.

 

[sportshack06]

caught the last part of Tim's doctor on MSNBC, apparently there was a condition Russert was dealing with from the last 2 minutes of the interview I saw.

 

[Boom_70]

I don't think this will be popular, but I think NBC is overdoing it. It's 20 minutes into the newscast and it's all Russert.

Believe it or not, there is other news. Let's hear about it, please.

I'd agree. ABC did less when Peter Jennings died, they all knew he'd be pissed if the other events of the day didn't take precedence.

Completely different. Russert died in his absolute prime, at a time when he had really come into his own, and right at the start of a general presidential election campaign which has already renewed a formerly apathetic nation's interest in politics and government.

My wife and I were trying to think of whose death in the news media would be bigger news. We could only come up with two - Barbara Walters and Matt Lauer.

Matt Lauer??

 

[Write-brained]

I don't think this will be popular, but I think NBC is overdoing it. It's 20 minutes into the newscast and it's all Russert.

Believe it or not, there is other news. Let's hear about it, please.

I'd agree. ABC did less when Peter Jennings died, they all knew he'd be pissed if the other events of the day didn't take precedence.

Completely different. Russert died in his absolute prime, at a time when he had really come into his own, and right at the start of a general presidential election campaign which has already renewed a formerly apathetic nation's interest in politics and government.

My wife and I were trying to think of whose death in the news media would be bigger news. We could only come up with two - Barbara Walters and Matt Lauer.

Matt Lauer??

Barbara Walters?? She just wrote a tell-all book about a love affair and the world yawned.

Neither is in the same category as Russert.

 

[D-3 Fan]

At 5:23pmET, ABC's Barbara Walters appeared on MSNBC by phone to comment on the death of Tim Russert, who described the "grief the country's going to face."

Ok, the hyperbole is getting out of hand.
His family and co-workers only have the right to make a statement about grief, not the country.

Markvid, I interpreted that as just an initial reaction and the first thing that came to her mind when talking about Russert. What can you say when you're still in shock after hearing bad news? A prepared statement?

When Peter Jennings died, I realized that a part of what I grew up was slowly going away: respectable journalists who do their job and and you develop an appreciation of them. I'm 32 and I still remember when the clock hit 5:30pm Central time, I would run inside after playing in the backyard and watch John Chancellor with my old man. Then we'll flip it to Cronkite, and then to Reynolds/Robinson/Jennings. The mindset I had was "these important men are about to tell me what I should know about today."

From a public's perspective as someone not in the business, I still have an enormous respect for each and every one of you. You are telling me something that I need to know, need to think about, and need to apply to my life every day. I will admit that I'm not happy with some aspects of the business (shouting, rudeness, egos, etc.), but is 99% of those who do this on a daily basis act like that? To the public, it may appear that 99% are jerks and fools, but in reality, that number is lower than that.

There are way too many good people in this business that I appreciate. All of you are part of that. The public knows that, but we're too damn lazy to at least make an effort to see things from your shoes.

This is a great loss, no doubt in saying that. Tim Russert was more than politics and news. He was another reason why I ran home everyday since I was 7 to sit down and watch the Big Three nightly news. I want to learn and yearn to learn who, what, why, how, and when.

 

[steveu]

I want to go on YouTube and see Brokaw but yet I don't. I'm afraid I might lose it.

The first weekend of NFL season, hoist a cold one for Tim when Meet the Press goes off the air, say "have a good day and go Bills".

RIP.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

I don't think this will be popular, but I think NBC is overdoing it. It's 20 minutes into the newscast and it's all Russert.

Believe it or not, there is other news. Let's hear about it, please.

I'd agree. ABC did less when Peter Jennings died, they all knew he'd be pissed if the other events of the day didn't take precedence.

Completely different. Russert died in his absolute prime, at a time when he had really come into his own, and right at the start of a general presidential election campaign which has already renewed a formerly apathetic nation's interest in politics and government.

My wife and I were trying to think of whose death in the news media would be bigger news. We could only come up with two - Barbara Walters and Matt Lauer.

Cronkite.

Also Bob Woodward, IMO.

No way.

One-trick pony in comparison.

And, a print guy.

Now, Redford?

Sure.

 

[markvid]

At 5:23pmET, ABC's Barbara Walters appeared on MSNBC by phone to comment on the death of Tim Russert, who described the "grief the country's going to face."

Ok, the hyperbole is getting out of hand.
His family and co-workers only have the right to make a statement about grief, not the country.

Markvid, I interpreted that as just an initial reaction and the first thing that came to her mind when talking about Russert. What can you say when you're still in shock after hearing bad news? A prepared statement?

When Peter Jennings died, I realized that a part of what I grew up was slowly going away: respectable journalists who do their job and and you develop an appreciation of them. I'm 32 and I still remember when the clock hit 5:30pm Central time, I would run inside after playing in the backyard and watch John Chancellor with my old man. Then we'll flip it to Cronkite, and then to Reynolds/Robinson/Jennings. The mindset I had was "these important men are about to tell me what I should know about today."

From a public's perspective as someone not in the business, I still have an enormous respect for each and every one of you. You are telling me something that I need to know, need to think about, and need to apply to my life every day. I will admit that I'm not happy with some aspects of the business (shouting, rudeness, egos, etc.), but is 99% of those who do this on a daily basis act like that? To the public, it may appear that 99% are jerks and fools, but in reality, that number is lower than that.

There are way too many good people in this business that I appreciate. All of you are part of that. The public knows that, but we're too damn lazy to at least make an effort to see things from your shoes.

This is a great loss, no doubt in saying that. Tim Russert was more than politics and news. He was another reason why I ran home everyday since I was 7 to sit down and watch the Big Three nightly news. I want to learn and yearn to learn who, what, why, how, and when.

On the flip side, D-3, why does every single person have to issue a statement?
I really don't care what Barbara thinks.
Only person I'd be concerned about right now is the wife and kid he left behind and the father he obviously worshiped.

 

[Write-brained]

I don't think this will be popular, but I think NBC is overdoing it. It's 20 minutes into the newscast and it's all Russert.

Believe it or not, there is other news. Let's hear about it, please.

I'd agree. ABC did less when Peter Jennings died, they all knew he'd be pissed if the other events of the day didn't take precedence.

Completely different. Russert died in his absolute prime, at a time when he had really come into his own, and right at the start of a general presidential election campaign which has already renewed a formerly apathetic nation's interest in politics and government.

My wife and I were trying to think of whose death in the news media would be bigger news. We could only come up with two - Barbara Walters and Matt Lauer.

Cronkite.

Also Bob Woodward, IMO.

No way.

One-trick pony in comparison.

And, a print guy.

Now, Redford?

Sure.

You just called Bob Woodward a one-trick pony. Seriously.

Not a bad trick to have up your sleeve.

 

[bostonbred]

RIP. Terrible, tragic news.

 

[Chuck~Taylor]

Terrible terrible news. RIP.

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

He had a friendly pan of a face that projected warmth and intelligence.

 

[Colton]

Damn... damn...

RIP, Mr. Russert.