A Piece of My Mind: Tim Russert Quotes and Comments
     edited by Bennet Pomerantz

If you do the best you can, you will find, nine times out of ten, that you have done as well as or better than anyone else.
   ~ William Feather

I was shocked as most of you were about the death of NBC’s Meet The Press host Tim Russert, who died on Jun 16, 2008 of a heart attack at his desk His simple style inspired many journalist, myself included. If you have not read his book Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons, go out and buy this NOW.

When we lost another great newsman , Russert once said “We have lost one of our very, very best”. I think we can say the same thing about him now. Here are a few of his quotes.

Whatever the criticisms and the after-action report may be about what was right and what was wrong looking back, what would be a horrible tragedy would be to distract ourselves from avoiding further problems because we're spending time talking about problems that have already occurred,

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The primary responsibility of the media is accountability of government, whether it's about lying under oath, which upset Democrats, or the mismanagement of responding to a hurricane, which happens to upset Republicans.

So what can we learn from this journalist and author.... here is what others have said about this man.

Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, says, “Russert was a political analyst more than a reporter. His commentary wasn’t based off opinions. He was assessing impact, direction and implications based off deep knowledge and deep research. … That is the kind of reporting that we don’t have enough of on network television.” (USA Today)

Diane Sawyer said “No one could see Tim in a room and not smile. He brought so much joy and curiosity and sheer vitality to all our lives. As a journalist, he would set out like a great explorer. You couldn’t wait to see what he discovered every day in the new world. He was a defining American newsman.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger said “Tim was an American icon in the world of political journalism who could relate to everybody. His insightful commentary and tough but fair interviews helped millions of Americans better understand our political system…But Tim was not only one of the top journalists of his generation; he was a close friend, a warm and generous person and a wonderful family man.”

Walter Cronkite said “Broadcast journalism lost one of its greats today. Tim Russert was a giant in our field – a standard-bearer of journalistic integrity and ethics. His masterful interviews and round-table discussions are legendary. This is a tragic loss for journalism and for all who were privileged to know him.”

Rest In Peace Tim!

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About the Writer:

Bennet Pomerantz is a media review columnist in 175 newspapers with his weekly column AUDIOWORLD. His fiction and reviews have appeared in the pages of Affaire De Coeur, Gateways, Mystery Scene, Power Star, The Hot Corner, Washington Entertainment Magazine, and many others. He is also known for his review appearances on the MCN Forum. View his web site at Audioworld.