Omaha woman remembers former 'Meet the Press' host Tim Russert on anniversary of death

(WOWT)
Published: Jun. 13, 2018 at 7:22 PM CDT
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Ten years to the date, famed and beloved ‘Meet the Press’ host Tim Russert suffered a heart attack and died. Now, his former producer hopes to share his legacy.

Erin Owen currently works at the University of Nebraska Omaha, but in the late 1990s and early 2000s, she worked alongside Russert as a producer and then later photographed him.

She first met him when she joined his team. Owen told 6 News she personally met with Russert as she interviewed for the position. He was her journalistic hero.

“It was very surreal to drive to NBC News on Nebraska Avenue in Washington to meet with Tim. He only had a few questions. He asked me if I’m impartial, if I work hard,” Owen said.

Owen took countless photos of Russert, which she said he hated but was a good sport about. She helped him on major stories, such as the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and the capture of Saddam Hussein.

“Working for Russert was a dream. Tim was so smart and so funny and so caring and so diligent. You always had to have your ‘A’ game. He set a standard of excellence that was undeniable in the industry, and anyone who was on his team knew that and sought to seek his level of excellence,” Owen said.

She told 6 News Russert was always calm, even in the most stressful situations, prompting her and other coworkers to help him do what he needed to inform the American people.

Owen now occasionally teaches journalism students. Every year, she said less and less students know who he is.

“I think now more than ever, we need journalism. Now more than ever, we need to be studying one of the greats, and I consider Tim Russert to be one of the greats,” Owen said.

Owen works diligently to share the knowledge she learned while working with Russert. She said his relentless preparation, dedication and love for the American people is what truly made him stand out.

“Ethel Kennedy said that Tim Russert did all the hard research, so the rest of us didn’t have to. That’s how trusted he was, and he earned that trust through preparation,” Owen said.

Russert was born in Buffalo, New York in May of 1950. Owen called him an “American Original;” his father was a garbage man in Buffalo to support his family of six.

“Tim would very proudly tell people that it doesn’t matter where you’re born. It matters where you want to go,” Owen said. “I think the lesson of Tim is to make sure that individuals assess their skills, assess their dreams, get the education you need and go for it.”

In the newsroom, it was known that Russert’s first love was his son, Luke Russert. Owen said he also loved babies, and it was a known rule, so to speak, that he had to meet any baby who came through the studios.

He was most notably known for calling politicians out for changing their stances on issues days, months or even years prior.

“One of his lessons was relentless preparation, the process of how he would pull together history and a lifetime of reading to bring all of that together into an interview to hold politicians and policy makers accountable for what their statements are and what their actions are,” Owen said.

Owen said the lessons have been passed down and that journalism doesn’t lack the qualities Russert held onto. She added, though, his qualities are especially crucial in today’s political climate.

“That’s where journalism needs to continue relying on the core principals of journalism. Follow those leads. Do those interviews. Ask the hard questions, and at the end, present that information and citizens will need to decide for themselves,” Owen said.

Owen told 6 News Russert died doing what he truly loved. She said he was just about to voice a promotion for the show when he had his heart attack. She was with a friend.

“I left my friend’s house, jumped in the car and went straight to the bureau,” Owen said. “Such a huge loss that day not only for his family, for NBC, for his colleagues, his friends, but for America.”

Now, ten years after his death, Owen hopes that photographs, memories and his story will remind people of his love for journalism and the American people.