Anchoring Himself

As the son of two journalists—the late Meet the Press host Tim Russert and the longtime Vanity Fair correspondent Maureen Orth—it might seem inevitable that Luke Russert would become one himself. But Russert, who started a broadcasting career while still a student at BC, stepped away from reporting in 2016 to travel the world, write a book, and meditate on his future. Ultimately, the experience brought him back to journalism as a new coanchor of the MS NOW show The Weeknight. This conversation has been lightly edited for space and clarity.

Did growing up with journalists for parents influence your path at an early age?

It certainly was the family business. I grew up as an only child, and as I sat around the family dinner table with my parents, they would grill me almost as if I was a subject of a story for Vanity Fair. What I liked about it is that I always felt like I was in the know. I was always reading magazines and consuming news, and my friends would ask me about news stories, thinking I was the proper gatekeeper.

After stepping away to travel, how did it feel to come back to journalism?

I hadn’t read a teleprompter in nearly ten years at that point. It was like riding a bike. It just came back, and you get better with repetition. You get into a groove. It felt like a homecoming, in a way. It’s like The Odyssey, right? You go out in the world and you have myriad experiences, but ultimately you come home. I think this time I came home in a way that was much more comfortable for me.

How did being abroad affect the way you think about American politics?

What I learned is that, when you take away the leaders of places, people are pretty similar the world over. It’s so cliché, but it’s so true. Most people really want a few things. They want a roof over their head, they want food in their bellies, and they want safety and opportunity for their children and themselves. I learned that, whether it’s in very impoverished places in Asia or Africa, or some of the wealthiest places in the Middle East or wherever, we are better off as a country—as the United States—where we’re mindful of our privilege and mindful of our stature. Despite the ups and downs, we have it so much better than so many others. A lot of what we argue about are problems that other countries would be lucky to have.

What do you think about the overall state of journalism right now, and what it means for democracy?

Two things you need now, in this age of disinformation, are very robust civics programs and media literacy programs in school systems. Those are two things you need to have a healthy, vibrant democracy. I tell young people, if you want to be a journalist—and you absolutely should, it’s a wonderful profession—be very mindful of what’s out there. A lot of people are stenographers who just repeat back what is said. Other people want to be influencers. For a healthy democracy, you need a press to ask tough questions that hold leaders accountable. One thing my father used to always say is, “If you can’t answer tough questions, how are you going to make tough decisions?” Remember, these people work for you. You are their boss. That’s how you should think of it.

What are three stories you’re most excited to talk about right now?

One is voting rights. We’ve seen this administration move in a direction where they want fewer people to vote and want to choose their own voters more so than we’ve ever seen. That’s something that has made a lot of Republicans uncomfortable, because of how far-reaching it goes. Another thing is affordability, the massive increase in costs across the board. Some of that is the fault of the administration, some of it’s not. The last one I’m very interested in is who is going to take over the mantle from Trump at some point on the Republican side. It seems like he’s running his own Celebrity Apprentice between JD Vance and Marco Rubio, and I’m sure others will want to inject themselves into the race. But there’s no logical heir apparent right now.

As a coanchor, how do you keep discussions healthy and productive?

You are entitled as a host to have opinions and share those opinions. But I’ve found they register a lot more when that’s done in a way that isn’t screaming and yelling, “I’m right and you’re wrong!” It’s, “This is how I’ve come to this opinion. I’m more than happy to have a conversation. You can challenge me on it.” Showing that willingness is a big part of civility. On our show, Michael [Steele] is a Republican, Symone [Sanders Townsend] is a Democrat, and I come from a beat reporter background. We don’t agree on everything. There’s a reward now, sometimes, for people to be bombastic and over-the-top. But we get into very spirited conversations, and by the end we’re laughing and having a good time.

Your father spoke at my BC commencement in 2004, and he shared these words: “You’ve been given an education that says it’s not enough to have a skill, not enough to have read all the books or know all the facts. Values really do matter.” What are the values that inform how you do your work?

I think what my dad said in that speech piggybacks off something that he used to teach me every single day: that you’re always loved, but you’re never entitled. That’s something BC did a very good job instilling in its students: the idea of men and women for others, and that you’re a part of something bigger. There’s a tendency now, in our society, that is very narcissistic. It’s, you know, “How’s your social media engagement?” Feed the beast. But when you take a step back, you have those contemplative moments where you think, Sure, I did something well for myself today. But did I help the discourse? Did I help the common good? ◽