Tim Russert, who received 48 honorary doctorates, won countless other awards for excellence during his career, including the Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio-Television News Directors Association, the John Peter Zenger Freedom of the Press Award, the American Legion Journalism Award, the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society Journalism Award, the Allen H. Neuharth Award for Excellence in Journalism, the David Brinkley Award for Excellence in Communication and the Catholic Academy for Communication’s Gabriel Award.

Time magazine named Russert one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

“Lawrence Spivak, who founded ‘Meet the Press,’ told me before he died that the job of the host is to learn as much as you can about your guest’s positions and take the other side,” he said in a 2007 interview with Time magazine. “And to do that in a persistent and civil way. And that’s what I try to do every Sunday.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in a statement that Russert “asked the tough questions the right way and was the best in the business at keeping his interview subjects honest.”

FOX News Chairman Roger Ailes also noted Russert's tough interview style, remembering private lunches: "I think before the last presidential election, I had lunch with him. He would always have lunch with people, and at lunch, you felt like you were on 'Meet the Press,' because he always had penetrating questions."

David Gregory A.K.A "Stretch" as G. Bush "favorite W.H. Correspondent, simply cannot measure up to the standard of "Meet The Press" Q & A's that Tim Russert did. After watching today's broadcast 4/15/20 and Mr. Gregory allowing "Meet the Press" get turned into the "Michele Bachmann" show w/o questioning any of her LUDICROUS comments : Women pay more for gas then Men, 97% of individuals laid off from employment were women..... and on and on was simply an embarrassment to the standard of "Meet the Press" that Tim Russet had established. At least Tim Russert would of challenged WHERE she got those outlandish statistics from, David Gregory did absolutely NOTHING. REPLACE DAVID GREGORY AS MODERATOR OF MEET THE PRESS!