In reading today's obituaries about former NBC newsman Edwin Newman, who died at 91, the date of his death jumped out at me - Aug. 13. That is more than a month ago.

Does that strike some as odd? The New York Times obituary states:

He died of pneumonia on Aug. 13, but the announcement was delayed until Wednesday so that the family could spend time grieving privately, his lawyer, Rupert Mead said. Mr. Newman and his wife had moved to England in 2007 to live closer to their daughter, Mr. Mead said.

Not sure if this is a testament to his family being able to keep a secret, even in today's instant information age, or a sad sign that not enough people were in touch with him within the industry.

His death and the continued condolences and praise for his work also raise the question of whether he could be on television today.

As many of the reports state, he was droll, dry, great with a pun, and a stickler for proper language. He was also not movie star handsome or an eye-catching broadcast presence. It would help us all if we remember the things that made him a great news person: insight, journalistic ability, curiosity and demanding about the facts.

Too much news today is done with the visual elements and opinion being more important than the journalistic elements that he brought forth.