Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Remembering Tim Russert

"Never let them intimidate you. If someone tries, do me a favor and work just a little harder on your story...Make your story a little better."
- David Halberstam

For the better part of a week, I have struggled to put into words the impact Tim Russert's death has had on me and, more importantly, on journalism. Words have consistently escaped me but Halberstam's have been going through my head on repeat.

When I became a reporter and (eventually) found myself in situations where I was charged with asking important people questions, I realized that Russert, like Halberstam, was fearless. Russert not only held his own against some of the greatest minds and biggest personalities in the political world, but he often handed it to them. Always rooted in fact, Russert personified the journalism responsibility of holding public official accountable. And, most importantly, he took that responsibility seriously - supporting every charge with careful due diligence.

Continued at theRebuttal.com.

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