Tim Russert dying is the biggest story since 9/11

Posted: 6/14/08 at 4:39pm

What the hell? The news coverage has been WALL-TO-WALL on every cable outlet. Yes, he's dead. Yes, he had a nice career and hosted "Beat the Press." I can NBC breaking in to programming to report it and then miliking it with some retrospectives, but this was the top story on all the nets, with hours of coverage on CNN and Fox. And it's not like there isn't breaking news to cover.

It is of course because there is nothing the media likes to report on better than itself. When Paul Newman dies (who's had far greater success and is far better known) he'll get a 30 second obit on TV and a midsize NY Times article.

It's ridiculous. I saw McCain & Obama both grilled about their interviews with "Tim" and how they felt about him passing.

[Midnight Radio]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 5:10pm

ALL of the nets?!

Even the volleyball net?
The bug net??

Please, dear god, not the Aqua Net!

[madbrian]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 5:15pm

If I may be so bold, I will suggest that Russert would rather the news networks go back to covering the election, the disaster in the midwest, etc.

[nmartin]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 5:23pm

I have to agree with Joe. This coverage is ridiculous.
Midnight, the Aqua Net always provides full coverage.

[romantico]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 5:25pm

Man, why couldn't R.Kelly's verdict be read on Monday?

Posted: 6/14/08 at 5:34pm

Midnight radio, the Fishing Net did 4 hours on Tim Russert's favorite Lures

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 5:36pm

The American media has long proven itself incapable of concentrating on more than one story at a time.

Russert, I'm sorry to say, as great as he was at what he did, was part of that.

[Midnight Radio]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 5:46pm

In the spirit of equal representation...

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 6:38pm

Who's dead? I don't watch televison.

[madbrian]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 6:46pm

Walter Cronkite

[StageManager2]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 7:18pm

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 7:40pm

I hate to admit that after 1 1/2 hours of coverage I finally made my boyfriend change the channel. We wound up putting in a movie.

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/15/08 at 9:19am

I don't think it's that newsworthy either. I barely knew who he was. Unfortunate, surprising and sad, yes. And I don't think it's the "one big story" that they usually wave around until the next one comes along.

This is the media covering the media. It's one of their own who as met an untimely death. Attention MUST BE PAID!!!

They all hope secretly that when THEY kick the bucket someone will pay that much attention to them. So they're working diligently now on their karma.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 6/15/08 at 9:21am

'zackly, besty.

[Juliash]

Posted: 6/15/08 at 7:01pm

I love Paul Newman, Newman-Os and the Newman's Mesquite Lime marinade.

Oh...and all the Newmans Own salad dressings. Especially the Caesar one where Paul Newman's bust has a crown of laurels.

[RadiGal2]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 3:13am

I will admit for awhile there on Friday the coverage was overwhelming -- but to those of us who live, breathe and sleep politics -- Meet the Press with Tim Russert was an institution. It was the barometer for the rest of the week. Tim asked the questions that demanded answers and unlike so many other moderators actually wanted his guests to answer. He held up the people in his life. He valued and respected the political system however flawed and the people in it, and for that I am dearly grateful. He was far from perfect and I disagreed and much as I agreed with him, nonetheless I have watched and re-watched the final episode taped on June 8 and today with Tom Brokaw. I will admit to getting sentimental off and on all day. Tim was a man's man....I can only be happy that he saw Luke graduate and the end of the Primary season....but will sorely miss him for the duration of this political season.

[javero]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 9:12am

"...but to those of us who live, breathe and sleep politics -- Meet the Press with Tim Russert was an institution."

ditto

[tazber]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 9:22am

Everyone is forgetting the passage in the book of Revelations that explains the attention:

3:23
"And lo, it shall come to pass that Tim Russert will be smote by the hand of satan. Whence this occurs, the first of the horsemen will be signaled to ascend from his fiery place of waiting."

And if any of you doubt that the end of days is near, I would like to call your attention to fact that Xanadu lost the Tony award last night. Surely a sign.

[wexy]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 1:10pm

I went for a stress test today which was fine. Doc says
"Bad news, you have to go back to work." Then he said "Everyone's gonna come in for a stress test because of Tim Russert."

[Calvin]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 1:12pm

This guy agrees:
Link

Posted: 6/16/08 at 2:10pm

"Here's one thing you can say about journalists: Surely no one loves us as much as we love ourselves.

That's one lesson of the Tim Russert coverage.

A friend told me Sunday: "I now know more about Tim Russert than I do many members of my family."

After Russert's shocking death Friday at age 58, television kept serving up witnesses to his expertise, intelligence, diligence, kindness, faith, love of family, Buffalo and the Buffalo Bills. The self-indulgence was breathtaking."

I might have to subscribe to the Orlando Sentinel!

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 9:27pm

I think it's important to note that Tim Russert was the antithesis of all the talking heads and pundits that have taken over political coverage, so I think it is absolutely proper we should celebrate his life, and mourn one of the last and finest in unbiased political coverage.

[cfmiller]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 11:30pm

Oh, thank you! I thought I was the only one thinking this, and felt bad for it. You can always count on the off-topic board!

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 6/17/08 at 4:44am

Tim Russert was a simple yet extraordinary human being. He touched a lot of lives in a very personal way.

Members of the media were shocked and devastated by the news. An extremely large--and dysfunctional family--the media are dealing with this loss as any of us would were we to lose someone special in our lives. Devoting so much coverage to him probably seems like the least they can do to honor someone who mattered to so many people...and a way to deal with their own grief.

I don't understand why anyone is expressing bewilderment or dismay over this coverage. Tim Russert educated boatloads of people about matters that will impact generations to come. When Heath Ledger died, people on this board were unable to think of anything else. Many took his death personally and engaged in arguments with others about the significance of his contribution to humanity.

Just to give you some perspective on this, George W. Bush was interrupted during a meeting with French President Sarkozy to be told of Tim Russert's untimely death. He was a man of great influence and yet a modest and kindly individual.

How people process death and grieve may not be how "we" might do it, but to criticize a community for honoring one of its own seems somewhat short-sighted to me. They're doing it the only way they know how: by reporting it, talking about it, making it "real," and then finally moving on.

Rest in peace, Mr. Russert. My heartfelt condolences to his family.

[kec]

Posted: 6/17/08 at 7:44am

Beautifully said, Miss Pennywise.