Tim Russert died today. He died of an apparent heart attack at work. I have to say, if I had a choice that would be pretty low on my list. Above "burned at the stake" but way below driving your rocket car into a cliff (yeah, it's an urban legend, but it's a good one...).
I don't wish to speak ill of the dead. He was pretty decent for a major media journalist. Still, it bothered me that NPR in their news spot on him remembered him as "a consummate beltway insider" and a great journalist. To a significant extent, these are really incompatible. If the people you are reporting on and "grilling" are inviting you to their parties, you're not a journalist anymore. Glenn Greenwald has a great anecdote from a smaller beat, where a Portland sports reporter reflects on how his relationships with the team and maintaining "access" affected his reporting.
He will be missed. Given NBC's stable of reporters, it seems unlikely that anyone who takes over "Meet the Press" will be as good. If it's Chris Matthews I'm selling my TV.
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