The Influence of '60 Minutes'
The Influence of '60 Minutes'Since 1968 America has been better enlightened than previously
concerning current events and happenings around the world. A
considerable factor for this occurrence is the television program 60
Minutes which debuted on the air in September of 1968. Many other
television newsmagazines have been produced since its creation,
however none have possessed the longevity nor the influence of 60
Minutes. In fact, 60 Minutes, which is owned by CBS News, was the
first regular network news program to cover actual stories as opposed
to topics. Today, similar newsmagazines can be seen every night of the
week on various stations, all of which were sparked by the inception
of 60 Minutes. All of the tabloid television programs being shown
today are also a result of 60 Minutes and its bold, gutsy, "gotcha"
style of television journalism. 60 Minutes changed the way that the
American public receives its television news, stemming forth a whole
new format of television broadcast journalism.
60 Minutes has a vast history of stories covered, yet the format
has remained unchanged. Don Hewett, creator and producer of 60
Minutes, has been the subject of much criticism for his stubbornness.
Since its origin, 60 Minutes has continued to adhere to the same
formula that made it such a success. The hidden-camera interviews, the
surprising of unsuspecting alleged crooks with a bombardment of
questions, the longevity of the featured reporters, all of these are
what made 60 Minutes a success--finishing in the top 10 Nielson
ratings for 17 consecutive seasons and counting. Other than the fact
that it changed from black- and-white to color with the new
technology, the appearance of 60 Minutes has remained consistent.
There is no reason to change a thing about such a prosperous show
according to Hewitt. Not only has the format remained constant but the
reporters have as well. Mike Wallace, and Harry Reasoner both appeared
on the first episode of 60 Minutes. Reasoner, who passed away in 1991,
left CBS in 1970 to pursue a news anchoring position at ABC but later
returned to 60 Minutes, in 1978, until his death. Wallace and Morley
Safer, who started in 1970, are still featured reporters as well as Ed
Bradley (who joined the team in 1981) and newcomers Lesley Stahl and
Steve Kroft. 60 Minutes would not be the same without the weekly
commentary of Andy Rooney. Rooney started making a regular appearance
in 1978 offering humorous, sometimes controversial annotations about
everyday life. A well known prime time TV news anchor who did much of
his best work at 60 Minutes is Dan Rather. When Rather joined the
other prestigious journalists he had a reputation as a tough,
aggressive reporter; in other words, he fit in perfectly. Rather left
in 1981 to takeover The CBS Evening News, leaving with him a
hard-nosed investigator who would do whatever it took to capture the
whole story. All of these factors combined to form a...
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