A Sad Goodbye to Tim Russert

By Jonah Rosenblum

Today, while working on another episode of his show “Meet the Press”, Tim Russert died of an apparent heart attack. He was only 58. Russert was most known for his role hosting “Meet the Press,” but he was on television many other times as well to offer political commentary, and was also frequently called upon to moderate presidential debates. Russert was the first broadcaster ever inducted into the Gridiron Club, which had previously been restricted to print journalists. This year, Time magazine named him one of the world’s 100 most influential people.

As an aspiring journalist myself, I always admired the way Russert handled himself on set. He was intelligent, well-spoken, and conveyed what I will always believe was a genuine enthusiasm about politics to his audience. I was always impressed by the way he handled himself during interviews and debates. As Yahoo News puts it, Russert “pointedly but politely questioned hundreds of the powerful and influential.” He was a great journalist, one who questioned politicians on the issues, keeping the discussions both civil and focused. He certainly will go down as one of my favorite journalists and will always serve as a personal role model. Journalists, viewers, and admirers from around the world, myself included, will miss him deeply.