About
"When I first came to 60 Minutes I was surrounded by people that were among the best that have ever done television news. To stay there you have to show that you could do it. In twenty-some years I've shown that I can, that I was able to play on this court."
In his three-hour interview, Steve Kroft details his early interest in journalism and his stint in the army, where he reported for both the Armed Forces Radio and Stars & Stripes. He chronicles his time in local television in Jacksonville, FL, and in Syracuse, NY, where he was noticed by CBS and brought on board as a correspondent for The CBS Evening News. He discusses his various posts at CBS, including his time as a foreign correspondent and his year on the short-lived news magazine show West 57th. He speaks of his many years as a correspondent on the classic news documentary program 60 Minutes, and talks about reporting on presidents, 9/11 and the Gulf War, and the disaster at Chernobyl. Kroft recalls his working relationship with other 60 Minutes luminaries like Mike Wallace and Don Hewitt and describes what makes a good 60 Minutes correspondent. He speaks of the then-current state of television news, his legacy in television news, and his advice to aspiring journalists. Dr. Ralph Engelman conducted the interview on November 14, 2011 in New York, NY.
Highlights
Steve Kroft on becoming a correspondent for 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on his 60 Minutes interview with Bill and Hillary Clinton
Steve Kroft on the movement toward more celebrity-driven news
Steve Kroft on interviewing Clarence Thomas for 60 Minutes and dealing with criticism of his interviews
Steve Kroft on interviewing President Obama after the death of Osama bin Laden
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on his early interest in journalism; on his experience at the Armed Forces Radio and Stars & Stripes
On covering Vietnam; on working in local news in Syracuse, New York; on working in local news in Jacksonville, Florida
On going to work for CBS News; on his early years at CBS New s and his mentors there
On becoming a foreign correspondent for CBS News; on joining the news magazine show West 57th
Chapter 2
On working on West 57th; on joining 60 Minutes; on his relationship with Don Hewitt; on finding his way as a reporter on 60 Minutes
On competition for stories on 60 Minutes; on working with the producers of 60 Minutes
On covering various stories on 60 Minutes; on interviewing Bill and Hillary Clinton for 60 Minutes
On interviewing Clarence Thomas and President Obama for 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on his working relationship with Don Hewitt on 60 Minutes
Chapter 3
On interviewing President Obama; on stories he's covered for 60 Minutes; on the then-current state of broadcast news
On coverage of 9/11; on how audiences for network news have changed; on the shift toward celebrity-driven news
On his favorite interviews; on then-current projects
On his greatest professional achievements and regrets; on advice to aspiring journalists and his legacy in television news
Shows
60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on why 60 Minutes was a good fit for him
Steve Kroft on his working relationship with Don Hewitt on 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on finding his way on 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on the competition for stories on 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on his 60 Minutes interview with Bill and Hillary Clinton
Steve Kroft on competition among correspondents on 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on working with the producers of 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on covering TWA Flight 847 for 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on covering Chernobyl for 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on interviewing Bill and Hillary Clinton in 1992 for 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on covering the Gulf War for 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on various stories he's covered for 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on interviewing Clarence Thomas for 60 Minutes and dealing with criticism of his interviews
Steve Kroft on interviewing President Obama for 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on interviewing President Obama after the death of Osama bin Laden
Steve Kroft on his personal favorite 60 Minutes reports
Steve Kroft on the types of stories he covers for 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on the limitations of the 60 Minutes format
Steve Kroft on 60 Minutes coverage of 9/11
Steve Kroft on how technology has changed reporting on 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on his celebrity and his political views
Steve Kroft on keeping control of his interviews and interviews he wishes he could do
CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
Steve Kroft on his early years on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather and transitioning into his position there
Steve Kroft on his early mentors at CBS News and his early assignments
Steve Kroft on being transferred to CBS News' southwest bureau in Dallas
Steve Kroft on becoming a foreign correspondent for CBS News in 1984
CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite
Steve Kroft on going to work for CBS News and covering El Salvador
Topics
9/11
Steve Kroft on 60 Minutes coverage of 9/11
Barack Obama
Steve Kroft on interviewing President Obama for 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on interviewing President Obama after the death of Osama bin Laden
Bill Clinton
Steve Kroft on his 60 Minutes interview with Bill and Hillary Clinton
Criticism of TV
Steve Kroft on interviewing Clarence Thomas for 60 Minutes and dealing with criticism of his interviews
Fame and Celebrity
Steve Kroft on the movement toward more celebrity-driven news
Gulf War
Steve Kroft on covering the Gulf War for 60 Minutes
Technological Innovation
Steve Kroft on how technology has changed reporting on 60 Minutes
Television and the Presidency
Steve Kroft on interviewing President Obama for 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on his 60 Minutes interview with Bill and Hillary Clinton
Steve Kroft on interviewing President Obama after the death of Osama bin Laden
Television Industry
Steve Kroft on interviewing Clarence Thomas for 60 Minutes and dealing with criticism of his interviews
Steve Kroft on the movement toward more celebrity-driven news
Vietnam War
Steve Kroft on how his service in Vietnam prepared him to become an journalist
War
Steve Kroft on how his service in Vietnam prepared him to become an journalist
Professions
Correspondent
Steve Kroft on the biggest story of his career and his advice to aspiring journalists
Journalists & News Producers
Steve Kroft on the biggest story of his career and his advice to aspiring journalists
Genres
News and Documentary
Steve Kroft on being a correspondent for 60 Minutes
Steve Kroft on being a correspondent for 60 Minutes
People
Bill Clinton
Steve Kroft on his 60 Minutes interview with Bill and Hillary Clinton
Fred Friendly
Steve Kroft on attending Columbia to study journalism
Don Hewitt
Steve Kroft on his working relationship with Don Hewitt on 60 Minutes
Mike Wallace
Steve Kroft on his 60 Minutes interview with Bill and Hillary Clinton