Russert stories belie spirit

To those of us who are not members of the Washington media elite, Tim Russert's recent death offered a glimpse into the culture of the news business, at its highest level.

By all accounts, Russert was the quintessential great guy. A friend who once worked for the NBC affiliate in Cleveland recounted meeting Russert during an event at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He found Russert to be genuine, unassuming, and lacking the arrogance and impatience typical of big-time TV personalities.

Russert chatted casually for half an hour about a variety of topics, the most revealing of which was how awestruck he had been at meeting Wilt Chamberlain.

When Russert died suddenly two weeks ago at age 58, in the prime of his career and during an election cycle in which he had been so personally invested, the testimonials from his news colleagues gushed forth. Russert was invariably heralded as a great journalist and someone who had made a lasting contribution to the democratic functioning of the free press.

Ironically, however, Russert the journalist became Russert the news story. MSNBC ran a weekend-long remembrance after he died, then broadcast his memorial service last week. "Meet the Press," which Russert hosted, devoted its entire hour to a reflection on Russert's career. Even the talking heads at competing networks made him the top story and piled on.

What came into focus, however, was not just Russert's contribution to political news coverage but how incestuous and clubby the Washington press corps really is. People change jobs but remain locked within a tight circle. Many of those on competing networks who lauded Russert had once worked for him at NBC. Those who hadn't still claimed him as a mentor.

As I listened to the outpourings and watched journalistic detachment evaporate on the spot, it was impossible not to find the coverage self-indulgent and overdone. I wondered how Russert the journalist and unassuming nice guy would have viewed this spectacle of mourning.

I suspect Russert would have been appalled that significant news went unreported while the Washington press corps swapped insider stories. An election and a war were still going on and large sections of the nation were beset by natural disaster.

Russert also might have been disappointed by the Washington news corps' infatuation with his working-class upbringing. In the Ivy League milieu of Washington journalism, the posthumous discussions of Russert's life portrayed him as an oddity, someone who had not been destined for greatness, an anti-elite who somehow strayed into their world and made good.

When it was all said and done, I couldn't help but think Russert's colleagues learned little from him about life and journalism.

Gwyn Mellinger can be reached at gwyn.mellinger@bakeru.edu.

Copyright 2008
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