The Unbearable Inanity of Tim Russert

Actually, the balls Russert favors may be hard, but the pitches he throws aren't curveballs, which go someplace useful. They're sillyballs, which go somewhere pointless. Russert has created a strike zone of his own where toughness meets irrelevance. John McCain entered the zone last May, when he went on the show and repeatedly asserted that the Bush tax cuts had increased the federal government's revenue. Hearing this, a tough but conscientious journalist ... Full Story »

Posted by Kaizar Campwala

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Review

Jack Dinkmeyer
4.2
by Jack Dinkmeyer - Oct. 1, 2008

In my opinion this is a “right-on” piece. And here I am, thinking I'm the only one in the world who thinks Russert is overhyped with all the impact of milk-soaked bread. The rare times when I tuned into his Sunday show, I watched as one of his guests dropped an answer that if pursued, would have been a real bombshell. But Russert just let it go off into never-never land. An old newsman once told me that if you want to be a successful interviewer, throw away the damned paper with the pre-written questions and actually LISTEN to what you’re being told. Not only will you learn something, you’ll probably end up with a real story. Broadcast journalism has become nothing more than talking-head entertainment. Always a favorite with bean counters because it’s so cheap to produce.

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Jack's Rating

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