Last night at the National Press Club, the latest installment of The Kalb Report series featured 60 Minutes Correspondent Lesley Stahl and Executive Producer Jeffrey Fager in a discussion on “What Makes 60 Minutes Tick?” hosted by Marvin Kalb. 60 Minutes currently holds the record for the longest continuously running program of any genre scheduled during American network prime time television. It has aired at 7 p.m. eastern time every Sunday since December 7, 1975. It has been recognized as the most successful television news program of all time.
According to Fager, there are about 200 total employees that help put 60 Minutes on the air every week. There are about 70 reporters who work both on and off the air. The program currently features 10 main correspondents. Stahl said that every correspondent has a team of reporters and each person is responsible for coming up with story ideas. Surprisingly, there are no group meetings to decide which stories to feature each week. Fager explained that meetings are not necessary because the staff is constantly communicating. Stahl said, “We don’t have meetings and we’re proud of it.”
Kalb asked if there was a secret ingredient in the success of 60 Minutes. Stahl said that unlike most other news outlets, no correspondent or reporter is ever given an assignment to cover. She said, “Really nobody does a story they don’t want to do, and that they don’t push and fight to do. We propose our stories. And I don't know any other news broadcast or news outlet that’s quite like that. All my friends who have worked on shows like this at other networks, and even within CBS, have been assigned their stories and they grumble about it. But everybody who goes out on a story is going out because they’re desperate to cover that.”
60 Minutes has earned a reputation over the years for having an iconic interviewing style where the correspondent is a central part of each story. Stahl said that it is a deliberate technique used to engage the audience. However, not every interview goes as planned. In 2007, French President Nicolas Sarkozy abruptly ended an interview with Stahl after she asked if his wife had left him. Stahl said, “I was warned that no French reporter would ask that question. But I’m not a French reporter.”
When asked about the current state of television news, Fager said he did not believe that real reporting was done at all on other prime time news programs. He claimed that other programs, particularly on cable, feature a lot of shouting but that does very little to inform the public. Stahl voiced concern whether or not financial resources will continue to be available so news programs can continue to travel the world and provide high caliber journalism.
For students hoping to pursue a career in journalism, Fager said that writing and story telling are crucial skills. He supported a strong liberal arts education as the foundation for that and emphasized the value of knowing a foreign language. Stahl recommended that students start their careers at the smallest media outlets that will hire them. She said, “Don’t try to come to60 Minutes, because you know what you’ll do at 60 Minutes? Get me coffee.” She went on to say that working at a small outlet will provide the practical experience every aspiring journalist needs.
Fager said he believed that there will always be a place for quality journalism. Stahl was less enthusiastic, and said that she is very worried for the future.
At the end of the discussion, Kalb said, “In that environment of journalism being in trouble, you both represent an organization, 60 Minutes, that continues to do first-rate reporting. And even if there’s a hiccup along the way, along the way you’re getting the thrust of honest professionals doing the best they can.”
No comments:
Post a Comment