Lowell Bergman

Journalist / News Producer
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In this three-hour interview, Lowell Bergman recalls his early years and his time as a print journalist for the underground press and Rolling Stone. He recounts making the transition to broadcast news when he moved over to ABC to produce for 20/20, Nightline, and World News Tonight. He discusses switching over to CBS as a producer for 60 Minutes where he worked primarily with Mike Wallace and executive producer Don Hewitt. Bergman recounts his infamous Brown & Williamson 60 Minutes story, which later served as the basis for the feature film The Insider. He describes being at odds with Wallace and Hewitt, which eventually lead to his exit from the show. He discusses being a producer for PBS' Frontline and opines on the then-current state of television news and what he feels news needs to do more of. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on August 22, 2011 in Berkeley, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"Don't think that you can just do these stories and there won't be consequences. And I don't mean by that things will change."

People Talking About ...
Lowell Bergman
Highlights
Lowell Bergman on his opinion of network news when he joined ABC and investigating Chappaquiddick
04:33
Lowell Bergman on working for 20/20  and the differences between reporters and producers
06:27
Lowell Bergman on producing the 60 Minutes story on Brown & Williamson tobacco which served as the basis for the feature film "The Insider"
15:13
Lowell Bergman on producing the 60 Minutes story "Three Days in Beirut"
08:25
Lowell Bergman on advice to an aspiring journalist
00:25
Full Interview

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Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on writing for the underground press
On becoming an associate editor at "Rolling Stone"; on The Center For Investigative Reporting; on his transition to broadcast journalism
On his opinion of network news; on reporting for 20/20
On reporting for ABC World News Tonight and Nightline; on working for Roone Arledge at ABC News

Chapter 2
On the origins of 20/20 and Nightline; on going to work for 60 Minutes; on the process of producing stories for 60 Minutes
On working with Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes; on big stories he covered for 60 Minutes
On producing the story "Three Days in Beirut" on 60 Minutes; on producing news stories from dangerous parts of the world
On producing the 60 Minutes  story on Brown & Williamson tobacco which served as the basis for the feature film "The Insider"

Chapter 3
On the legitimacy of print news vs. television news; on the decision to kill his 60 Minutes  piece on Brown & Williamson tobacco
On CBS' decision to finally air the 60 Minutes piece on Brown & Williamson tobacco; on his decision to leave 60 Minutes
On the feature film "The Insider"; on going to work for Frontline
On producing news for network vs. producing news for PBS; on the then-current state of the network nightly news programs and cable news networks; on advice to aspiring journalists and his legacy
Shows

20/20

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Lowell Bergman on working for 20/20 and the differences between reporters and producers
06:27
Lowell Bergman on the investigative stories he covered at 20/20 and ABC News
03:10
Lowell Bergman on the freedom he had at ABC and CBS to do investigative stories
02:14
Lowell Bergman on the origin of 20/20
03:05

60 Minutes

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Lowell Bergman on going to work for 60 Minutes
05:51
Lowell Bergman on the process of producing stories for 60 Minutes
04:47
Lowell Bergman on working with Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes
13:39
Lowell Bergman on the big stories he covered for 60 Minutes
01:55
Lowell Bergman on producing the 60 Minutes story "Three Days in Beirut"
08:25
Lowell Bergman on producing news stories from dangerous places
02:38
Lowell Bergman on producing the 60 Minutes story on Brown & Williamson tobacco which served as the basis for the feature film "The Insider"
15:13
Lowell Bergman on the decision to kill his 60 Minutes  piece on Brown & Williamson tobacco
09:29
Lowell Bergman on CBS' decision to finally air the 60 Minutes piece on Brown & Williamson tobacco
06:09
Lowell Bergman on his decision to leave 60 Minutes
08:28
Lowell Bergman on the feature film "The Insider"
06:54
Lowell Bergman on the impact "The Insider" had on his career
06:19

ABC News Nightline

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Lowell Bergman on reporting for ABC World News Tonight and Nightline
03:07
Lowell Bergman on the advent of Nightline
01:19

ABC World News Tonight

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Lowell Bergman on reporting for ABC World News Tonight and Nightline
03:07
Lowell Bergman on reporting for ABC News and dealing with media savvy subjects
04:44
Topics

Advice

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Lowell Bergman on advice to an aspiring journalist
00:25

Historic Events and Social Change

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Lowell Bergman on his opinion of network news when he joined ABC and investigating Chappaquiddick
04:33

Pop Culture

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Lowell Bergman on his opinion of network news when he joined ABC and investigating Chappaquiddick
04:33

Television Industry

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Lowell Bergman on advice to an aspiring journalist
00:25
Lowell Bergman on the then-current state of the network nightly news programs and cable news networks
02:41
Professions

Journalists & News Producers

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Lowell Bergman on dealing with deadlines
01:19
Lowell Bergman on working for 20/20 and the differences between reporters and producers
06:28
Lowell Bergman on reporting for ABC News and dealing with media savvy subjects
04:44
Lowell Bergman on producing news stories from dangerous places
02:38
Lowell Bergman on advice to an aspiring journalist
00:25

News Producer

View Profession
Lowell Bergman on dealing with deadlines
01:19
Lowell Bergman on working for 20/20 and the differences between reporters and producers
06:28
Lowell Bergman on reporting for ABC News and dealing with media savvy subjects
04:44
Lowell Bergman on producing news stories from dangerous places
02:38
Lowell Bergman on advice to an aspiring journalist
00:25
Genres

News and Documentary

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Lowell Bergman on working for 20/20
11:51
Lowell Bergman on reporting for ABC World News Tonight and Nightline
03:07
Lowell Bergman on reporting for ABC News and dealing with media savvy subjects
04:42
Lowell Bergman on producing for 20/20 and Nightline
04:25
Lowell Bergman on producing for 60 Minutes (Part 1)
52:32
Lowell Bergman on producing for 60 Minutes (Part 2)
37:21
People

Al Pacino

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Lowell Bergman on the feature film "The Insider"
06:54

Don Hewitt

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Lowell Bergman on producing the 60 Minutes story "Three Days in Beirut"
08:25
Lowell Bergman on the decision to kill his 60 Minutes  piece on Brown & Williamson tobacco
09:29
Lowell Bergman on CBS' decision to finally air the 60 Minutes  piece on Brown & Williamson tobacco
06:09

Michael Mann

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Lowell Bergman on the feature film "The Insider"
06:54

Mike Wallace

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Lowell Bergman on working with Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes
13:37
Lowell Bergman on producing the 60 Minutes story "Three Days in Beirut"
08:25
Lowell Bergman on the decision to kill his 60 Minutes  piece on Brown & Williamson tobacco
09:29
Lowell Bergman on CBS' decision to finally air the 60 Minutes  piece on Brown & Williamson tobacco
06:09
Lowell Bergman on the feature film "The Insider"
06:54

Roone Arledge

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Lowell Bergman on working for Roone Arledge at ABC News
02:57

All Interviews

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