Mourning Russert, We Mourn an Era

For those who still see politics as important and noble, Tim Russert was like a high priest presiding over a Sunday morning mass that drove the week's news cycle, writes David Carr in the New York Times. But as much as Russert was a key Beltway player, that mass was losing relevance fast—and his passing may be its death knell.

"Meet the Press" was the preeminent Sunday morning show, dispensing legitimacy and driving news cycles. But TV itself is losing legitimacy this election, as anonymous bloggers have broken cycle-driving news, and a generation turns to more diverse and disparate media. Russert’s own death was on Wikipedia before Tom Brokaw could announce it. "Sunday could end up being just another day of the week," Carr concludes.