Meet The Press

Tim Russert interviewing President Bill Clinton for Meet the Press.

Meet the Press. You probably know the Sunday morning news show, which began airing in 1947, making it the longest-running TV show in the world. And you are probably familiar with at least one of its 11 hosts, which includes such distinguished journalistic names as Martha Rountree, Lawrence E. Spivak, and Tim Russert.

But chances are, unless you are a die-hard fan of the news program, you have no idea who Betsy Fischer Martin is. Martin, who came to work 2 decades ago as an unpaid intern, has been senior executive producer of the show since 2002. And today, she appeared at the Newseum to discuss the program and how it is produced.

Much of the discussion centered around Russert, who died in 2008 after hosting the show for 17 years.

"He was the greatest," Martin said. "I got bit by the journalism bug and the reason was Tim Russert. He was always extremely focused and prepared, but he had a lot of fun with it. Tim's mission was accountability. He was a truth seeker. He believed if you can't answer a tough question then you're not going to be able to make a tough decision"

In this time of bitter political soundbites and screaming talking heads, Martin said the staff of Meet the Press

tries to present a once-a-week news program where viewers can get "an opportunity to take a breath and hear a civilized discourse," a course of action Russert championed and has been continued under current host  David Gregory.

Fischer said that much of the tone of the show is established by the character of the host. "Tim was a lawyer by training and it was really like he was conducting a cross-examination. David is more a journalist with a capital J," Martin said.

Martin said the importance of the weekly news determines who is asked to be a guest on the top-rated show. "We want guests who are very active, make a lot of news, and want to come on the show. You don't always get exactly who you want every week. People are surprised to hear that," she explained.

She said that guests must agree to answer any questions they are asked. "They have no idea what we are going to ask. The guests know that everything is on the table. If the chief of staff of a Senator says the Senator doesn't want to discuss the little problem he is having back home, then the Senator won't be invited on the program," Martin said.

Martin admitted that the advent of the internet and social media has drastically altered preparations for the next show, which actually begin moments after the conclusion of each Sunday program. "We used to clip out newspaper clippings and put them into a booklet. Now, we use the internet. I use Twitter as a news feed. I follow a number of newspapers and journalists that I trust and now get the news as it happens," she said.

The increasing partisan politics in America has had an effect on the show. "There is less willingness for guests (of opposite views) to come on together," Martin said. "It's all much more of a debate now."

Martin acknowledged that the fast pace of important breaking news can pose some difficulty in setting any kind of rigid weekly plan. But that is actually a good thing, she noted. "It's much better than saying 'Oh gosh, what are we going to possibly talk about this week. That's like (usually news slow because Washington shuts down for vacation) August material," Martin said with a laugh.

Tales, Tidbits, and Tips
The Newseum is currently featuring an exhibition which honors Russert and recreates his office as it was when he was hosting Meet the Press. To read a previous The Prices Do DC post about that exhibit, just click here.

Celebrating Tim Russert

The Tim Russert exhibit at the Newseum

There have been only a few really great TV newsmen. The list would have to start with Edward Murrow. Of course, it would include Walter Cronkite. Many would name some combination of Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, and Peter Jennings. The most recent candidate would probably be Tim Russert, who in 17 years as the host of Meet the Press set the standard for Sunday morning news shows.

Russert, who died in 2008, had a hard-hitting interview style and an ability to cut through political spin that made him one of the country's most respected journalists.

His legacy is recalled in the current Newseum exhibit Inside Tim Russert's Office: If It's Sunday, It's 'Meet the Press, which recreates Russert's NBC Washington office much as it looked when he died of a heart attack while preparing for his show. The exhibit will be on view until June 19.

Russert had 5 major passions - his family, his faith, journalism, politics and sports - all of which are reflected in the exhibit. After every broadcast, Russert would call his father, whom he called Big Russ, to find out his thoughts about the airing. When his son Luke decided to become a newsman, Russert imparted this advice: "Just be yourself. Pretend you're talking to me. Don't get too fancy. Don't talk that Washington talk."

While he had a deserved reputation for fairness and respect for his subjects, Russert was not afraid to ask difficult questions that often challenged those he interviewed. One of his mottoes was "I don't believe you can make tough decisions unless you can answer tough questions.".

On his messy desk were all the magazines, newspapers, books, and notes he would need for his broadcast. His bookshelves were filled with books, many from guests that had appeared on the show. Also on display is the collection of signed baseballs he kept in his desk drawer, as well as pictures of his favorite interview subjects including Pope John Paul II.

There is also a pennant from Russert's favorite sports team, the Buffalo Bills. Russert described his relationship with the NFL franchise this way: "Meet the Press knows that I try my best to be objective and nonpartisan, but when it comes to the Buffalo Bills I can't help myself."

Tales, Tidbits, and Tips
One of the best stories about Russert occurred during NBC's coverage of the 2004 election night in the race between George W. Bush and Al Gore. Eschewing fancy gadgets, Russert used a small, simple white board, on which at one point he wrote the phrase Florida! Florida! Florida!, accurately predicting that whichever candidate won that state would win the presidency. When he died, fans created a memorial outside of the NBC studio in Washington. Many of the fans left their tributes on small white boards, some of which are included as part of the Newseum exhibit. Here is what one said: "Because of you, I am a better citizen. Aren't we all. Thank you."