I can certainly understand this opinion.  But I have a different gut reaction, so I thought I would comment.  I am not a tv watcher, but I do see it online, so my experience of Russert is mostly from clips during this past primary season.  I have seen a bunch of the coverage on MSNBC the past few days, including a hunk of this morning's MTP show.  I guess the superlatives don't bother me much--such things are often said in the days immediately following someone's death.  It's a way to honor them and people realize there is exaggeration. 

I don't agree with the frustration on people's part that they are spending so much time on Tim when so many other news-worthy subjects go unreported.  Regardless of what you thought of Tim and his performance, he seemed a man of integrity with incredible enthusiasm for his life and work.  He was an important part of these peoples' world for 17 years on the longest-running news show(?) ever.  This is a significant loss for them professionally and personally.  So I give them a pass for spending so many hours honoring his life this weekend.  After this, he will probably not really be spoken of in the news much anymore.  It would have seemed a little cold if they had NOT honored him on the first MTP show right after his death, no?

Yes, I do understand that it seems like the press is full of themselves in this type of coverage, but then again, haven't there always been outsized personalities in the news business?  I don't watch TV for a reason and that is because it seems to dumb down the news, and I don't really trust corporate news to give me unbiased coverage.

Anyway, just another opinion, from the schmoopie-papoopie sector. 

Angela