As the 1970s began, Safer became part of an American journalism institution by joining the 60 Minutes team – a team that also included at various times such esteemed journalists and Harry Reasoner, Dan Rather, Mike Wallace, Ed Bradley, Lesley Stahl, Don Hewitt, Andy Rooney and Steve Kroft.
Advertisement
Compared to the partisan, vertical news of today, Morley Safer, who died at his home in Manhattan on Thursday, represented a different kind of journalism that transcended genre and bias. His report on U.S. Marines burning the Vietnamese village of Cam Ne in 1965 was pivotal in the how the war was viewed at home, even sparking backlash from President Lyndon Johnson who called for Safer to be fired.
Nobody could tell a story like Morley Safer.
And Safer himself may have had the best “reaction” of all in his final tweet, which went up last Sunday, the day “60 Minutes” was followed by a one-hour special celebrating his career. Morley Safer was working for the Canadian network CBC, when one of his colleagues sent CBS a tape to apply for a job. His health began deteriorating over the past few months. He announced his retirement last week and worked on the program for 46 years.
Safer, who spent 61 years in television news, brought an authoritative, urbane style to “60 Minutes”, CBS’s ground-breaking news program, and his work was a mix of hard and soft news. He joined CBS News in 1964 as a London-based correspondent and eventually became the London bureau chief. Safer has won 12 Emmy awards, was a three-time Peabody victor and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, among others.
Yet the other aspect of “60 Minutes”, lamented by some, is how it changed the way the major networks perceived the role of news. One of Safer’s most celebrated stories came within that run, showing how a Texas man named Lenell Geter was serving life for an armed robbery in Texas.
He is survived by Jane, his wife of 48 years, daughter Sarah Bakal, her husband Alexander Bakal, three grandchildren, a sister and a brother.
Stay on topic – This helps keep the thread focused on the discussion at hand. “Look at all you’ve done for us'”. Fager shared, “We are so fortunate and happy that he was able to see it. He felt the love and the appreciation”.
Advertisement
Be proactive – Use the “Flag as Inappropriate” link at the upper right corner of each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
