Helen: Too Much Coverage Of Russert’s Death?

I understand the grief shared by the media because he was their colleague and they respected him but I think they are misreading their belief that their intense grief is shared by the entire country. No doubt many are touched by the fact that he was so young - but people experience that feeling every day when they pick up the paper and see the obituaries of people who have not yet reached their 80’s or 90’s. I wonder if even 50% of the nation’s population had ever heard of Mr. Russert or could “place” him by name. His death is certainly premature and a loss to the short list of commentators and journalists who deserve a label of integrity, but I wonder if hours of uninterupted televsion coverage (and we haven’t had television in our home for many, many years)isn’t coverage that in the past has been reserved for presidents/ Helen.