Meet Tim Russert, Mentor of the Press

So much airtime on so many Sunday mornings has made Tim Russert's weekend job as moderator of Meet the Press the most memorable and recognizable part of his legacy. Yet anchor Brian Williams would always introduce Russert whenever he would appear on NBC Nightly News by using his full title: "NBC News DC bureau chief and moderator of Meet the Press." His weekday behind the scenes job as leader of the bureau was just as important.

The DC bureau has been the backbone of NBC's journalism. Each evening at the news hour, NBC Nightly News has relied on Russert's inside-the-Beltway corps of correspondents much more heavily than either CBS Evening News or ABC World News. Tyndall Report's data show that since 1991, when Russert took the chair at Meet the Press, his DC bureau has accounted for fully 30% of all Nightly's weekday stories, an annual average output of 1520 minutes, more than 25 hours. By contrast, the other two newscasts' DC bureaus were 23% less productive (ABC 1176 min, CBS 1165) in an average year. In those 17 years, NBC has had the busiest of the three DC bureaus in every single year save 1995.

It was not just this greater workload that is a tribute to Russert's skills as a bureau chief. His skills on the assignment desk and as copy editor are evident in the quality of the bereaved stable of correspondents he leaves behind: David Gregory at the White House, Jim Miklaszewski at the Pentagon, Andrea Mitchell at the State Department, Pete Williams at Justice, Lisa Myers on investigations, Tom Costello on the alphabet soup of executive branch agencies, Kelly O'Donnell on the campaign trail. Of those names, none was hired away from another network news organization. All were hired and groomed in-house under Russert's leadership or inherited when he took over the bureau. Anchor Brian Williams was one of Gregory's predecessors at the White House in Russert's bureau.

The converse does not apply. Several of the correspondents who thrived under Russert's mentorship at NBC's DC bureau are now leading lights at the competition: CBS' Katie Couric was at the Pentagon, CNN's Campbell Brown at the White House, ABC's Claire Shipman at the White House, CBS' Chip Reid at Capitol Hill, ABC's John Cochran at the White House, PBS' Gwen Ifill on the campaign trail.

This is how Andrea Mitchell described her late chief on Nightly News on Friday: "Tim was our teacher and our mentor -- my mentor...There are real leaders in this world. There are not that many of them. He led this bureau here in Washington, our political team. He had all of us on Meet the Press only last Sunday and he was so enthusiastic about bringing us all together, many off the road to share stories...He was also a player coach. This was a man who not only led this bureau, but taught all of us. And the first call every morning would be: 'Hey, Mitch, Here is what you should go after today.' He inspired me to learn Capitol Hill when I went there and to learn the State Department. Every beat I have been on, he taught me how to do it best...There is no way to share with our viewers how broken our hearts are tonight.

The importance of the DC bureau at NBC News is reflected in the network's general emphasis on the primary of politics. A longstanding hallmark of Today, where Russert was a frequent guest, was to cover more politics, especially in its first half hour, than either ABC's Good Morning America or CBS' Early Show. Much of the improvement in MSNBC's ratings vis-à-vis CNN and FOX News Channel is attributable to its unrelenting emphasis on Campaign 2008.

The strength of NBC News' political bench, nurtured by hours of airtime at MSNBC, means that the most visible absence created by Russert's death--the empty moderator's chair at Meet the Press--may be an easier void for NBC News management to fill than Russert's behind-the-scenes expertise as DC bureau chief.

Almost all the obvious contenders for the Meet the Press job are already working at NBC News. This is how Tyndall Report handicaps them:

Chuck Todd NBC's political director is no smooth, sophisticated on-air presence--but neither was Russert when he took the job back in 1991. His call of Campaign 2008 has been exemplary throughout the primary season so he obviously has a spot-on sense of the political pulse. The public policy and foreign policy aspects of Meet the Press would be unchartered territory.

David Gregory NBC's lame duck White House correspondent has already begun his transition from cantankerous reporter to dignified interviewer-anchor, substituting on Today and hosting his own Race for the White House on MSNBC. NBC is clearly grooming him for an eventual full anchor role but he might not be there yet.

Chris Matthews MSNBC's Hardballer already has a successful Sunday morning presence with his syndicated week-in-review panel show but his argumentative, hyperactive interviewing style would be hard to translate to the august rhythms of Meet the Press. Under Russert, NBC made great strides in establishing his show's reputation as fair-minded and respectful. Matthews' bombast would undercut those attributes.

Tom Brokaw NBC's former Nightly News anchor could find a perfect coda to his broadcasting career by following in the steps of David Brinkley and turning Sunday morning talk into a font of wisdom and perspective. Brokaw certainly has the interviewing chops for the job but it would be highly uncharacteristic of the always-forward-planning management at NBC to go retro.

Andrea Mitchell NBC's politico-diplomatic correspondent has already occasionally substituted at Meet the Press for Russert--as has Gregory. Mitchell has a well-rounded knowledge of politics and policy, domestic and foreign. Her appointment would provide NBC with a viable claim that it had the nation's preeminent female journalist--not Katie Couric at CBS nor Diane Sawyer at ABC. Mitchell has the finest Rolodex of contacts inside-the-Beltway so booking the show would be a breeze for her. However her skills are more as a reporter than an interviewer.

Joe Scarborough MSNBC's Morning Joe would have been an unthinkable candidate even a few months ago but he has found his voice as the cable channel's intelligent replacement for radio-on-television Imus in the Morning. After a pair of former Democratic operatives--Tim Russert and George Stephanopoulos--providing fodder for the liberal-media-bias culture warriors, a former Republican congressman would be just the antidote.

Gwen Ifill PBS' Washington Week anchor is the only non-NBC Newser on Tyndall Report's list but she sports the Russert pedigree, having been hired for television by him from The New York Times. Ifill always seems too large a presence for the collegial reporters' fivesome of the PBS half hour, brimming with more curiosity, knowledge and attitude than those constraints allow. An hour each week one-on-one with world leaders would allow her to strut her stuff.

As for the name to replace Russert as DC bureau chief, those are harder shoes to fill.

Comments

[pesfb]

If Russert really cast that long a shadow of influence on the profession, it certainly helps to explain the current sorry state of journalistic enterprise in this country.

[LPK]

I agree entirely. There are very few good men or women on TV Cable News. 80-90% of these guys were big boosters of the Iraq war. 3 days of TV mourning should be reserved for important occasions and not for one individual newsman who was not nearly as confrontational with the big wigs on the Hill as people would like to make out now.

[Leper]

I think Joe Scarborough would be perfect because he won't hold the Republicans accountable either.

[conniedogs]

I keep shaking my head in disbelief often times saying out loud.......got darn it!

[LastLiberalRepublican]

I commented elsewhere that I'd like to see Aaron Brown back in the saddle. Hope that NBC will actively consider him.

[UpstateNY]

Gwen Ifill - I like that. First choice is Chuck Todd. I have the same feelling of knowing I'm going to get the real scope whenever Chuck comes on the scene. And he can handle Chris Matthews - they all seem to respect him but he is probably too young and too green. Give him a chance to grown a little. Also polish some interviewing skills.

Also, Andrea Mitchell - I like her. But I think Gwen might be the one - I love her voice and she has a great way of speaking and she brings calm to the set.

It will be hard to fill Tim Russert's shoes - but of course, not impossible. The shoes will be filled and the legacy that Tim Russert left will carry on. That's the way life works and one hugh thing you can say about a Tim is that he was truly alive until he died. Too soon for sure - but we don't get to choose! Rest easy Mr. Russert.

[genia]

I think they should take their time...have all of them guest host for as long as it takes.....it would all fall in place eventually although...it may never be as good as...



......on a personal note: Oh please God, not Browkaw

[memphispaul]

I would love to see Bill Moyers's name added to this list.

[LPK]

Bill Moyers is too good for that job.

[pmorlan]

So Russert was the leader of the "pack". Well that certainly helps explain a great many things about the quality of our current crop of media personalities.

[Jey]

Tim said on Joe Scarborough a few weeks ago that he was grooming Chuck Todd. He brought Chuck Todd on board 15-months ago. I like him and he reminds me so much of Tim. Gosh how do you fill such big shoes. He truly cannot be replaced.

[alienufo]

Chuck Todd ftw.

[catfood]

If these are the choices, I assume Brokaw doesn't intend to come out of retirement. Gwen Ifill is capable if the job is offered and she wants it. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Gregory, who like most contemporary network "correspondents" was apparently hired because he has the "look" and can read a teleprompter... curiosity and intelligence not required. Appearing on Today won't exactly boost his credibility either.

[GaryWolf]

Let's face it - Tim Russert has left some big shoes to fill and I don't know if anybody is up to the task right now. His replacement would have to grow into the job.

Chris Matthews and Joe Scarborough may feel like they deserve the job, but I don't think they have what it takes. Their flaws are too well known.

Andrea Mitchell has the experience, but may be better behind the scenes as bureau chief.

David Gregory has the experience, but doesn't have the gravitas or charisma of Russert.

Chuck Todd is a brilliant analyst, but may not have the skills as an interviewer.

Keith Olbermann has the necessary authority, but as much as I like him, he's too partisan and works better as the de facto anchor of MSNBC.

Rachel Maddow would be a brilliant choice, but she's still too new for something major like this. Please give her a show of her own soon.

Which leaves outsider Bill Moyers, who may come closest to matching Russert's strengths.

[GaryWolf]

Gwen Ifell could be a sleeper candidate. She is capable and non-partisan.

In any case, this all just shows how irreplaceable Tim Russert is. The news coverage of his death alone reveals him to be the preeminent political journalist of our time. He will be missed.

[certainot]

i watched gwinn ifil allow her panel to give 5 mins plus out of 30 to the talk radio issue of john edwards haircut. what the fuck. did she learn that from russert? i suspect they all learned that together.

[mjasper]

Tom Brokaw,Tom Brokaw,Tom Brokaw,

But of course I doubt GE wants anymore of those old fashion freedom of the press types.

[strifeknot]

NBC Washington Bureau Chief: Chuck Todd
Meet The Press host: Bill Moyers

[benjaminblue]

This would be a perfect next step for Senator Clinton. She has a legal background, as did Mr. Russert, and she has an extensive network of contacts. Certainly, over the last 16 years, she has mastered interview techniques. Her husband's dealings and the baggage from their years in the White House would be less of a problem here than they would be if she were to remain in politics. Too, she could keep the "Clinton Legacy" alive, should Chelsea one day decide to run for office.

[LastLiberalRepublican]

I guess some haven't heard that a lot of people are really, really tired of the idea of "legacy" presidents, both Democrat and Republican.

[JimR]

groan...