According to reports he was recording voiceovers for the Sunday edition of Meet the Press.
Despite immediate attempts at resuscitation, Russert never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead a short time later.
Yesterday, to me, while terribly sad, was also an extremely classy day in Journalism as, in accordance with American journalistic tradition, the public announcement of Russert's death was withheld by the Wire Services and his network's competitors.
After Russert's family had been notified, retired NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw delivered, live on NBC, CNBC and MSNBC, the news of his passing.
I was watching FOX, when the news broke, and immediately switched to MSNBC until I had to leave for work.
RIP Tim, you will be missed. Nothing anyone will say, or write, in the coming days, weeks, and years will ever, EVER, be able to do you justice.
End of discussion.
I remember how impressed I was with him, even before he took over Meet the Press, and while it has been at least 3 years since I last watched a show, just knowing he was there, questioning the powerful, Left, and Right, was enough.
Watching, as I write this, for the 1st time, the announcement by Brokaw being replayed on MSNBC, I was struck by how hard it seemed for this "Giant" to hold in his emotions, as he did his best to report something he, and the rest of us, wished to hell had never occurred.
The emotion in his voice was there for all the world to hear.
It will be interesting to see how long it will take to find the people to fill all his different shoes, and just WHO is chosen to give it "the old college try" on Meet the Press.
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