Tim Russert
With his plainspoken, unpretentious style, Tim Russert transformed the landscape of broadcast news. Audiences outside Washington relied on his unparalleled insights into the Capitol scene, while Beltway insiders hailed his program as the most important hour on television. As moderator of Meet the Press, Russert interviewed every major figure on the American political scene. Week after week, he struck a delicate balance, paying due respect to his powerful guests while pressing them to answer the tough questions. Russert broke through Capitol Hill jargon to let his audience know how the issues of the day actually affected them. Critics hailed him as America's best interviewer; his colleagues called him the most influential journalist in Washington. In his best-selling memoir, Big Russ and Me, Russert entertainingly chronicled the lessons and values he learned from his blue-collar father in South Buffalo, New York. As a young attorney, Tim Russert learned the workings of government firsth