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Tim Russert

News Executive/Moderator

"I see "Meet the Press" as a national treasure.  In its 56th year, I am the temporary custodian, and I know that when my time is over, I’ll pass it on to someone else." 

About This Interview

Tim Russert says that on Meet the Press he tries to ask questions that the effect the everyday lives of viewers: “The first question I ever asked on Meet the Press was to Senator Bob Dole.  There was a tax cut put in place for people making over $50,000 a year, and I asked him why that group was being targeted— while people who were buying a cup of coffee or a glass of beer were being charged sales tax. Well, my dad loved that question.  He drinks coffee, he drinks beer.”  Tim Russert worked for NBC News for over two decades and at the time of his untimely death was the longest-serving moderator on Meet the Press. In his Archive interview, Tim Russert speaks about his early years growing up in Buffalo, NY and his decision to go to law school. He then talks about his transition to television news, joining NBC News in 1984 as vice president — working closely with his mentor, NBC president Lawrence Grossman. He chronicles his next career moves: in 1988, he became the Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief of NBC News and in 1991 he joined Meet the Press as its moderator. He discusses meeting with Meet the Press co-creator Lawrence Spivak, who gave him the advice to "learn as much as you can about your guest, and his and her position on the issues. And then take the other side." He took this advice to heart in his over 16 years at the helm of Meet the Press . He also reveals what he considers the biggest news story of his career, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the United States. Tim Russert (1950-2008) was interviewed in Washington D.C. on the set of Meet the Press on October 12, 2003; Karen Herman conducted the 20-minute interview, which was to be the first part of his full Archive interview.

Related To This Video

  • Shows
  • People
  • Topics
  • Genres

Shows

  • Meet the Press
  • Today

People

  • David Brinkley
  • Dick Cheney
  • Betty Cole Dukert
  • Lawrence E. Spivak
  • Betsy Fischer
  • Lawrence Grossman

Topics

  • Historic Events and Social Change
  • Memorable Moments on Television
  • Television and the Presidency

Genres

  • News and Documentary
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Watch Interview Highlights

  • Tim Russert on Meet the Press co-creator Lawrence Spivak giving him the best advice he ever got about moderating
  • Tim Russert on how he prepared for a Meet the Press broadcast and how he used his family as a focus group
  • Tim Russert on what he considers to be his most important Meet the Press  broadcast, the aftermath of September 11, 2001
  • Tim Russert on his historical "dream guests" Jesus Christ and Adolph Hitler 
  • Tim Russert on the limitations of television
  • Tim Russert on Meet the Press  as a national treasure

Watch By Chapter

  • Chapter 1
  • On his early years growing up in Buffalo; his decision to attend law school
  • On going into journalism and his initial reluctance to be on-camera
  • On being tapped to moderate Meet the Press and his thoughts on television news in general
  • On working on Meet the Press , his process, and how he prepared for a broadcast
  • On covering 9/11 and the Presidential Election of 2000
  • On his dream Meet the Press guests; and executive producers Betty Cole Duckert and Betsy Fischer

Discussed In This Interview

  • shows
  • people
  • topics
  • genres

shows

  • Meet the Press
    • Clip 1
    • Clip 2
  • Today
    • Clip 1

people

  • David Brinkley
  • Dick Cheney
  • Betty Cole Dukert
  • Lawrence E. Spivak
  • Betsy Fischer
  • Lawrence Grossman

topics

  • Clinton
  • 9/11
  • We Cried
  • 9/11
  • Television and the Presidency

genres

  • News and Documentary
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