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Most Shocking Headlines of 2008: Tim Russert's Sudden Death

CitizenSugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:30:30 -0800

Tim Russert came into homes on Sunday mornings as host of Meet the Press and night after night during this election and so many before. His sudden and early death shocked us all on June 13.

Even from this side of the screen, Tim's love for his job, politics, and life was palpable, and Americans came to feel like they knew him. His death was a how-can-this-be moment that dominated the news so much that we questioned how much was enough.

Tom Brokaw stepped in as temporary Meet the Press moderator, and David Gregory took over last Sunday — a choice we deemed as boring. David certainly can't replace Tim, so he'll have to put his personal mark on the show to win us over. Until then we miss Tim, making his death one of the biggest and saddest stories of 2008.

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Luke Russert Joins NBC News as Correspondent-at-Large

CitizenSugar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:25:00 -0700

Luke Russert Joins With NBC News as Correspondent-at-Large NBC News announced Thursday that Luke Russert, son of late Washington Bureau Chief and moderator of Meet the Press Tim Russert, will be joining the network to serve as a correspondent-at-large for the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, focusing on youth issues. Russert said, "I believe youth issues will continue to play a significant role during this election and I want to do my part to report them honestly and objectively."

Tom Brokaw Will Host "Meet the Press"

CitizenSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:55:07 -0700

Tom Brokaw Will Host "Meet the Press" NBC moved quickly to stanch speculation about who would succeed Tim Russert as moderator of Meet the Press, announcing Sunday that Tom Brokaw, former anchor of NBC Nightly News, would fill the role for the rest of this election year. The president of NBC News said “when Tom proposed this idea, we jumped at it,” adding: “It was a huge relief. It offers us some time.”

How Much Is Too Much? Celebrity Death Tributes — Too far?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:00:26 -0700

For every lash, there is an equal and opposite lash in the reverse direction: a backlash if you will. So it is with a seemingly irreproachable story like the tribute paid to the passing of Tim Russert. After his shocking passing last week, the news hasn't been shy with coverage. From the moving tribute held during the usual Meet the Press time slot, all the way to today when MSNBC will broadcast the private memorial service at 4 p.m. EDT. Some are saying it's too much. In Debra Saunders column yesterday she acknowledged the Meet the Press tribute was appropriate, but then said: Overall, however, the hours and hours of tributes across the cable spectrum show the news media at their worst. For me, the Russert Weekend only served to confirm my suspicion that in 2008, cable TV stations can only do one story at a time -- and then they overdo it and beat it silly. . . An outstanding journalist of Russert's stripe rated more than a nice sendoff story. But there is another tenet of the profession that Washington TV news bureaus seem to have forgotten in the shock of Russert's passing: We are not the story.

Over on Slate, Jack Shafer had this to say: I wonder whether the media grievers gave a moment of thought to how this Russert torrent they produced played with viewers and readers. Did the grievers really think Russert was so important, so vital to the nation's course, and such an elevated human being that he deserved hour upon hour of tribute? I wonder whether any of the responsible journalists paused to think, "Hey, this is really weird. We're using our unchecked editorial power to soak the nation with our tears about our friend, and that's unseemly!"

Gawker went one step further and created the "Scale of Celebrity Death" ranking the impact of surprise celebrity demise. Princess Diana, incidentally, ranked a 10. Are celebrity death tributes, and the wall-to-wall media coverage surrounding them, too much? Do we need them to mourn those characters who've touched so many lives? At what point does a tribute become ghoulish?Source

How Much Is Too Much? Celebrity Death Tributes — Too far?

Not at all! Celebrities are people who've touched a lot of us — a group mourning is good.

There's a line between coverage and tribute (Russert) and what happened to Anna Nicole.

Yes. A story is one thing, 24-hours of coverage is too much and almost disrespecful.

Other. I'll let you know how I feel in the comments.

Remembering Tim Russert on Meet the Press

CitizenSugar — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 08:17:25 -0700

I'm at a loss this morning, in the span of time usually devoted to coffee and Tim Russert on Meet the Press, his absence is deafening. This morning, in lieu of the regular show, they're running a tribute to Russert. The long-running show began in 1947, and Russert has helmed the ship since I can remember.

I've been reading some of the poignant tributes to Russert this morning, and pouring through pictures and trivia about Meet the Press — here are some of my favorites.

Every president since John F. Kennedy has appeared on the show during their career. The answers to these next two facts are pictured above: Who is the most frequent guest? And who had the longest span of time between first appearance and most recent appearance?

To find out,

Breaking: Tim Russert of Meet the Press Dies of a Heart Attack

CitizenSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:49:32 -0700

I couldn't be more sad to report that Tim Russert of NBC's Meet the Press has died of a heart attack. The New York Times reports they heard the news from Russert's family.

Upon announcing the news, Tom Brokaw said, “this news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice.” Russert is survived by his wife Maureen Orth and their adult son, Luke. He was 58 years old.

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Who's Watching Obama on Meet the Press?

CitizenSugar — Sun, 04 May 2008 08:07:11 -0700

Barack Obama's full hour on Meet the Press is just starting where I am — are you watching? Did you see it already?

Earlier this week Politico called the appearance "a potentially decisive broadcast." Is it? Did anything strike you?

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Headline: Ralph Nader Declares Candidacy

CitizenSugar — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:21:24 -0800

On Meet The Press this morning, Ralph Nader, perennial third-party candidate, said he's running for president of the United States. Launching his third bid in as many races, Nader said,

Dissent is the mother of ascent. And in that context, I have decided to run for president.

Shunning the notion that he serves as nothing but a spoiler for a Democratic party victory, Nader shot back,

Not a chance. If the Democrats can’t landslide the Republicans this year, they ought to just pack up, close down, and re-emerge in a different form.

How will this development affect the race? Could Nader's entry bait other third-party runs? Is Bloomberg on Nader's speed dial? Though many nations have political landscapes that support lots of political parties, can our solidly binary system support triangulation by a third — or does the other candidate stand to be a mistress, a spoiler distracting voters from working on their relationship with their party?

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Lighten Up: Separated at Birth?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:00:51 -0800

Okay, this is pure silliness: I was watching Tim Russert on Meet the Press yesterday, and I kept thinking, "Who does he look like? He has a twin somewhere, right?" And then it hit me — Randy Quaid. Is it just me, or do we need to see these two in the same place to make sure they're different people? Source

Lighten Up: Separated at Birth?

Ha! National Lampoon's Meet the Press!

Nah, don't see it.