It is extremely rare for me to feel deeply, personally affected by the passing of public figures–certainly, it is never good news to see the death of somebody who is widely loved or respected, but it generally doesn’t strike me to my core.

I can’t say that about Tim Russert, the longtime moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” who unexpectedly passed away after a heart attack today at the age of 58.

Though I do not work in the same field of journalism as Russert, and though the field in which I do work can only barely even be called “journalism,” Tim Russert has had a massive effect on me both professionally and even to an extent personally.

Nobody defines journalistic preparedness, professionalism, and integrity to the extent that did Tim Russert. In the modern age of the 24-hour news cycle that spans print, broadcast, and online, political coverage has become more and more commoditized, factionalized, and truncated. Tim Russert was absolutely a bastion of true, stand-up, incisive but not exploitative journalism.

His “Meet the Press” was a full hour of relevant, engaging, and substantive political interviewing, and his wealth of knowledge of and passion for the subject matter was unparalleled. It is fair to say that a political figure cannot truly be considered to be part of the political discourse without having appeared on Russert’s “Meet the Press.”

Both within and beyond that news hour, Tim Russert was always remarkably even-handed and well-composed yet powerful in his insight, his commentary, and his sheer command of the political landscape. The contrast between his warm, steady demeanor and the frantic, often derisive style of so many other current-day news commentators is striking–all the more so because even without that spectacle, he always managed to unpretentiously, humbly remain the smartest, most respected person in the room.

Regardless of profession, the people in this world for whom I reserve the most respect are those who do what they do with genuine passion and with true integrity. Those people can be found in every field, but few can be found who exhibit those traits so greatly and so visibly as Tim Russert, a journalist whom I, even as a mere viewer, respect intensely and will miss enormously.