One of the last things Brian Williams did before leaving for a reporting trip to Afghanistan two weeks ago was record some thoughts about Tim Russert.
Katie Couric participated too, as did other industry heavyweights, in a video production to air at today’s Mirror Awards luncheon, at which Russert was to receive a Lifetime Achievement award.
He did, posthumously.
Williams accepted the award telling the group of journalists at Rockefeller Center’s Rainbow Room, “You honor him today and I can’t think of someone more deserving. Will we see his kind again? No. Will we practice that kind of journalism again? Yes, we do every day,” the Nightly News anchor said.
In the video tribute, Williams talked about how it was Russert’s idea to etch the First Amendment onto the exterior of the Newseum in Washington, where he was a board member. “Tim had shared that little nugget with me,” Williams said. “He thought that it would be be a way to remind all of us that this was our job, our task, our calling. I’m not at all sure it was public,” Williams added, “and I thought I would get holy hell from him at the luncheon today.”
Williams sat with his NBC colleagues including NBCU CEO Jeff Zucker, Ann Curry, Nightly News EP Alex Wallace, Today show EP Jim Bell and his deputy Don Nash.
After the jump, CNN’s big win and who else filled the Rainbow Room…
• Related: Check out FisbowlNY’s coverage of the winners of the 2008 Mirror Awards…
CNN’s John Roberts presents CNN and YouTube with the i-3 award at today’s Mirror Awards at Rockefeller Center.
CNN’s David Bohrman and YouTube’s Steve Grove accepted the i-3 award for impact, innovation and influence for their presentation of the CNN/YouTube debates. “It’s hard to imagine ever going back,” Bohrman said, adding, “It’s hard to imagine the public not being able to directly connect up with the people who want to be president.” Grove added, “Kudos to CNN for seeing it before others.”
Other TVNewsers on hand, CNN’s political director Sam Feist and communications VP Christa Robinson; former CBS News president Andrew Heyward; Morning Joe’s Willie Geist and EP Chris Licht.
One of the nominees, ABC’s Brian Ross was nominated for his investigative piece which looked at NBC’s To Catch a Predator series. Ross lost to PBS’ Frontline. But had he won, it would have been interesting, since NBC’s table was front and center. Now in its third year, the Mirror Awards, put on by Syracuse U.’s Newhouse School, honor writers, editors and producers who report on their own industry.