Contact:
Clint Brewer, President, (615) 301-9229, cbrewer@spj.org
Alyson Ahrns, Archibald Communications Intern, (317) 927-8000, ext. 210, aahrns@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists expresses its deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of journalism great Tim Russert, 58, who died June 13.

Russert, who is best known as managing editor and moderator of “Meet the Press,” served the public brilliantly through his unmatched coverage of American politics. He joined NBC News in 1984 and took the lead of “Meet the Press” in 1991, hosting the show longer than anyone else.

“Tim Russert is one of the giants of American journalism, and he left us too early. He was a personal inspiration to me, and his work as a journalist helped me understand politics,” said SPJ President Clint Brewer. “Every episode of ‘Meet the Press’ was a lesson for the country. The leaders of the Society of Professional Journalists send our deepest condolences to the Russert family and to the team at NBC news.”

Russert holds many awards for his reporting on American politics. His Election 2000 interviews with George W. Bush and Al Gore won the Radio and Television Correspondents’ highest honor, the Joan S. Barone Award and the Annenburg Center’s Walter Cronkite Award. Also in 2000, Russert received the Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence for his interview with Senator John McCain.

Russert was not only successful in his career; he was also an award-winning father. He was named “Father of the Year” by the National Father’s Day Committee in 1995 and in 2001 by the National Fatherhood Initiative. Parents magazine honored him as “Dream Dad” in 1998.

At the time of his death, Russert lived in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Maureen, and son, Luke.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s largest and most broad-based journalism advocacy organization. SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For further information on SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.