Tim Russert: A Credit to His Profession
By Deb Jordahl
Tim Russert understood, as any professional political operative or journalist should, that the story must never be about him. Russert was a voracious reader who researched his topics and guests more thoroughly than anyone in the business, but he didn’t talk down to or shout over his guests. He gave them ample time to answer questions and he carefully listened to their responses instead of merely waiting for his next turn to talk. And because Russert was always prepared, he was able to separate the story from the spin.
By all accounts, Russert was a hard nosed political operative before turning journalist, yet he never let his partisan political history bias his reporting. He didn’t play got ya! He wanted to be fair and he gave his guests every opportunity to explain inconsistencies and errors. Russert could not be spun, but he rejected the cynicism and inherent distrust with which most journalists view political types.
He provided his guests every opportunity to give their best and most truthful answers, understanding that there is such a thing as the truth to report, rather than just a series of competing positions and quotes.
For those of us who work in the political environment, he was a breath of fresh air. So few journalists possess anything akin to Russert’s work ethic, tenacity and desire to understand and accurately report an issue. Russert treated people with respect and civility and he wasn’t afraid to know his interview subjects personally. He was genuinely interested in people and could be personable and familiar with his guests without impairing his ability to do his job.
A former colleague said Russert believed that newsrooms should be diverse, not merely from a standpoint of race and gender. He believed newsrooms should be filled with people from a variety of philosophical, cultural and professional backgrounds.
As an operative, it was refreshing to listen to someone who had an understanding of the culture inside the Dome and the rigors of the political campaign, yet remarkably, after spending his adult life inside the beltway, Russert remained enthusiastic about his job and optimistic about the human race. As another former colleague said, Russert believed that politics produced opponents, but not enemies.
With all of his success, it would have been easy for Russert to spoil his son, but as the son of a garbage man from Buffalo, Russert said he wanted his son to know that he was always loved, but never entitled.
Russert’s best-selling book was not about his own rise to greatness, but about his relationship and experiences with his own Dad. In fact, by the enthusiastic and unaffected smile which was always on his face, one imagines that he’s reading the tributes by his colleagues thinking, “Are they really talking about me?”