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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UNITY Mourns the Loss of Tim Russert

McLean, VA, June 18, 2008 – UNITY mourns the loss of iconic newsman Tim Russert, who died unexpectedly at the age of 58 on Friday, June 13.

Russert was host of the long-running NBC political talk show Meet the Press, serving as moderator for 17 years.  He also was a senior vice president with NBC and its Washington Bureau chief, and had been with the network since 1984. 

Russert started his career in the New York political landscape, working for both Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Gov. Mario Cuomo.  He made the transition to journalism in the early 80’s, and with true journalistic tenor, put aside his past political service and opinions to become one of the most well-known and respected analysts on television.

"I am stunned and incredibly saddened over the loss of Tim Russert, a great journalist who showed us how to pursue the truth with a tough yet inquisitive style all his own,” said UNITY President Karen Lincoln Michel. “We've lost a powerful force in our industry, and he will be greatly missed."

Russert received numerous accolades and awards over his career, including an Emmy in 2005, the Joan S. Barone Award, given by the Radio-Television News Directors Association, and the Annenberg Center’s Walter Cronkite Award.  In addition, he received many honorary doctorates, including ones from his alma maters, John Carroll University in Ohio, where he received his undergraduate education, and Cleveland-Marshall School of Law, where he received his juris doctor.

“Tim Russert represented the best of broadcast news and practiced journalism with a capital "J.", said UNITY Board Member Lloyd LaCuesta. “We mourn his loss and offer our sympathies and condolences to the Russert family and NBC News.  Tim Russert's legacy is that he leaves a model of excellence and integrity that all of us in the industry must strive to maintain.”

A commensurate family man, Russert authored two books on fatherhood, Wisdom of our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons and Big Russ and Me, centering on his relationship with his own father. 

Russert is survived by his father, Tim Russert, his wife, Maureen Orth, a Vanity Fair writer, and a son, Luke Russert.

UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc. is a strategic alliance advocating fair and accurate news coverage about people of color, and aggressively challenging the industry to staff its organizations at all levels to reflect the nation’s diversity.

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About UNITY: Journalists of Color
UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc. is a strategic alliance advocating news coverage about people of color, and aggressively challenging its organizations at all levels to reflect the nation’s diversity. UNITY, representing more than 10,000 journalists of color, is comprised of four national associations: Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and the Native American Journalists Association.

In addition to planning the largest regular gathering of journalists in the nation, UNITY develops programs and institutional relationships that promote its mission. For more information on UNITY, visit www.unityjournalists.org, email info@unityjournalists.org or call (703) 854-3585.