Was the coverage of Tim Russert's death really overkill? It might help to put it in perspective by, for example, comparing the amount of air time Russert posthumously received to the amount Peter Jennings did when he died in August 2005. And while that might be the most accurate comparison, keep this in mind: Russert died while still manning a broadcast, while Jennings died three months after his sign-off; when Russert died, there were big-ticket news stories to cover, while Jennings' passing took place during a lull in major events. The numbers are below.
Interestly, NBC devoted the entire 28:30 minutes of its Nightly News program on Russert’s death, even with Brian Williams anchoring via satellite from Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. In 2005 on ABC World News Tonight, most of the program covered Jennings’ death, but anchor Charles Gibson also saved five minutes for stories on a postponed Space Shuttle landing, an Iraqi sandstorm, energy policy, and gasoline prices.
The network news was about even in special coverage for the two. After Jenning’s death, ABC had three special commemorative broadcasts: an entire Nightline devoted to his memory, a half-hour tribute on the day he died, and a two-hour primetime tribute show three days later. After Russert’s death last week, NBC ran special remembrance editions of Dateline NBC, the Today Show, and Meet the Press. But, as Jack Shafer in Slate and others have observed, the praise-as-news about Russert continued to reverberate heavily through cable, blogs, and newspapers.
The results are interesting, given that Jennings had a much longer on-air career, and that he anchored five days a week, compared to Russert’s much smaller audiences for a niche Sunday morning program.
Editorial Director
As you said - Jennings was very sick - the public had months to get used to the idea that he was in bad shape, and he was off the air for months prior to his death. Also - no one I know watches the 6:30 news - so he was off the radar screen anyway. Tim Russert's death was a shock, he was young, and he was very much in the public consciousness this past year with the elections. He was not just on a "niche Sunday morning program" - he's been on MSNBC for hours every Tuesday night this year, he's on the Today show giving reports, at night with Brian Williams, he had an hour interview show that ran on MSNBC on weekends - so he was more in the public consciousness - particularly this year. Also - he was more of a character - an author of 2 books where he candidly shared family relationship stuff - and people identified with that. Peter Jennings was more reserved, kept his personal life private - and therefore we didn't connect as much with him. With Tim Russert - even people who watched him occasionally knew about Buffalo, his son etc…
Peter Jennings is the first crush (from age 10!) of mine who's died.
For Tim Russert to die suddenly and on an election year added to the hype. For goodness sake, people who've never watched "Meet the Press" were going around acting devastated.
Between hearing about Tim's life and listening to seemingly endless election year f-ery (terrorist fist bumps, etc.), I'd pick the former any day.
Oh, I think there were some natural disasters to cover or something.
"OVERBOARD" IS PUTTING IT MILDLY. IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I AVOIDED THE CABLE "NEWS" CHANNELS UNTIL THE HOOPLA DIED DOWN, ESPECIALLY AFTER SEEING THE CLOWN COUPLE OF CARVILLE AND MATLIN WITH THEIR UNSIGHTLY FACES BURIED IN THEIR ARMS IN TEARS. IT WAS MORE THAN I COULD BEAR. THESE PEOPLE APPARENTLY HAVE NO SHAME. I CRIED WHEN I SAW THE CHINESE MOTHERS TRYING TO FIND THEIR CHILDREN AMID THE RUBBLE AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE, I CRIED WHEN I READ THE STORY OF THE MOTHER WHO ABUSED HER SON TO THE POINT OF DISFIGUREMENT BY BURNING HIS HANDS ON THE TOP OF A HOT STOVE, I CRIED WHEN THE CHILD WAS SHOT IN HIS FRONT YARD BY A GANG MEMBER AND WHEN THE POLICE OFFICER WAS SHOT AND KILLED BY A HOODLUM WHLIE TRYING TO DO HIS JOB TO PROTECT SOMEONE ELSE FROM HARM. OF COURSE I WAS SURPRISED WHEN TIM RUSSERT DIED SO YOUNG SO SUDDENLY. AND VERY SORRY. NOONE IS REALLY REPLACEABLE TO THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW AND LOVE THEM, BUT THERE ARE NUMBEROUS CAPABLE, TALENTED MEN AND WOMEN WHO CAN STEP ONTO THE SET OF "MEET THE PRESS" AND TAKE IT AWAY! MR. RUSSERT ENJOYED HIS LIFE, HIS WORK, HIS FAMILY, HAD GREAT SUCCESS; HE LIVED A PRIVILEGED LIFE COMPARED TO MOST OF US. I ALSO THINK HE WAS LUCKY TO GO SO FAST WITHOUT PROLONGED SUFFERING OR PAIN ON INCAPICITATION. BUT HE WAS A POLITICAL PUNDIT AND "NEWS" BROADCASTER WITH PERSONAL OPINIONS, NOT A SCIENTIST IN SEARCH OF A CURE FOR CANCER, FINDING LIFE IN OUTER SPACE, HELPING TO END WORLD HUNGER OR AIDS. HE WAS A TALENTED MAN WHO DID AND GAVE HIS BEST; THANK GOD THERE ARE OTHERS TO FOLLOW JUST LIKE MR. RUSSERT FOLLOWED IN OTHER'S FOOTSTEPS. MAY HE REST IN PEACE AND MAY WE ALL GET ON WITH LIFE …AND THE LIVING.
The death of Russert was a great shock and he will be greatly missed. With the historical primaries and upcoming election his presence and commentary were the standard of season. Election day will not be the same without him and it will be sadly anti-climatic without his presence or his dry-erase board.
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I was at work when the news broke about Russert. People were very shocked mostly because he was only 58 years old and died very suddenly of a heart attack. Our reaction to his death is a little about him, that he seemed like a decent guy, but it was mostly narcissistic. It was more like, "Oh wow, he seemed relatively healthy and now he is dead. The heart really is a ticking time bomb."
He was a journalist people, not Jesus Christ…..let's move on……you'll have the books from the wife and son next year to read.
Peter Jennings died?