Tim Russert

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Russert

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Prior to becoming host of NBC's "Meet the Press," Russert worked as a special counsel, and later as chief of staff, to U.S. Senator Daniel Moynihan, a Democrat from New York. In 1983, he became the counsel to New York Governor Mario Cuomo, also a Democrat.

After joining NBC News in New York, he was sent to Washington, and in 1989 became chief of the Washington bureau. Russert assumed the job of host of the Sunday morning program Meet the Press in 1991, and would become the longest-serving host of the program. Its name was changed to Meet the Press with Tim Russert, and, at his suggestion, went to an hour-long format in 1992. The show also shifted to a greater focus on in-depth interviews with high-profile guests, where Russert was known especially for his extensive preparatory research and cross-examining style.

One approach he developed was to find old quotes or video clips that were inconsistent with guests' more recent statements, present them on-air to his guests and then ask them to clarify their positions. With Russert as host the show became increasingly popular, drawing more than four million viewers per week, and it was recognized as one of the most important sources of political news. Time magazine named Russert one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2008.