There are plenty of so-called media people at the national television level who just don't get it when it comes to fairness and civility. They scream and interrupt people. They get personal with their questioning and criticism. They behave in a way that is shameful and boorish. But not Tim Russert. 
 
If he had his critics, they were few and mostly silenced by the overwhelming support and respect he had among his peers and his audience. He was a man of class who conducted himself as a reporter and journalist ought to.

Russert, who died unexpectedly of a heart attack last Friday, received virtually universal acclaim by those who knew him, who were questioned by him on "Meet the Press" and who watched him work. Those who survived his Sunday morning grilling always called him tough but fair. He demanded that you prepare for appearances on that show, because he sure did. Barack Obama, John McCain, President Bush, Dick Cheney, Ted Kennedy - anybody who appeared on "Meet the Press" admired Russert and appreciated his tremendous research and refusal to play gotcha journalism. He showed you can ask tough questions and not be unfair or rude.

Russert was as well known for his books as he was for his role as NBC's Washington bureau chief and moderator of "Meet the Press." His book "Big Russ and Me" was a heartwarming memoir of life with his dad, Tim Sr., a working class guy from Buffalo, N.Y., who worked two jobs to support his family and never lost his honor or dignity. Russert's follow-up book "Wisdom of Our Fathers" was a collection of stories sent to him after "Big Russ and Me" came out, in which sons and daughters told poignant, funny and sweet stories about their hard-working dads, the lessons they taught and the examples they set.
Russert was a good man, a great journalist and a lover of life and the people in it. All of us, especially journalists, should learn from what he did and how he worked.

We also lost Jim McKay in recent days. The former ABC sports broadcaster was perhaps best known for his compelling role as moderator of coverage of the 1972 Olympics massacre of Israeli athletes. Rather than turn coverage over to news people, ABC stuck with McKay, and the veteran sports reporter came through. McKay was an original, because what he did in hosting "ABC's Wide World of Sports" had never been done before. He created the job that later was copied by sports hosts on all networks. McKay lived to be 86, a rich, long and wonderful life. We lost Tim Russert at 58, much too soon.
These two men were examples of the very best in the profession.