DeBakey died the same day as Snow.
Snow: He read the news.
De Bakey: Performed 50,000+ heart operations, pioneered surgery techniques now common including invention of the roller pump which allowed open heart surgery.
Estimated media coverage of Snow's death vs. DeBakey's death: 10 to 1
Why? Like Russert, Snow was a good family man. News if they were black, but not otherwise. Snow was nice. DeBakey you couldn't say was 'nice', just highly effective during up to 9 surgeries a day and highly intolerant of incompetence.
DeBakey was Lebanese Christian. Two problems there. The best doctors tend to enter the field because of commitment to being a healer and a fascination with the science (which was the case with DeBakey, the first time he saw a heart he was completely enthralled). Not because there's many shekels to be had.
There's a strong rivalry between Levantine Christians and Jews. Maybe rivalry isn't the right term. Goes back to the Ottoman Empire when Jewish tax farmers were especially ardent when going after Christian merchants.
The New York Times obituary implied that DeBakey wasn't as important as imagined, that his advances perhaps were better credited to others. Also that he employed animal testing.
But Snow received better treatment in his NYT obit. He was the right kind of conservative, among other things he opposed a border wall, 'an affront to Lady Liberty'. Clearly Snow was profoundly intellectual as well as a nice dresser. And good hair, did I mention his hair?