About
"In the best of all possible worlds, everybody would be honorable, but that's not the way the world works. Reputations for reporters are made by discovering things underneath that rock."
In his three-hour interview, Mike Wallace (1918-2012) talks about his early life and his first jobs in radio. He recalls his early television shows, including Mike and Buff, Night Beat, and The Mike Wallace Interview. He discusses various shows he was involved in in the early 1960s, including News Beat, The Race for Space, and making a guest appearance on The Jack Benny Program. He taks about his time at 60 Minutes, including some memorable stories, and working with Harry Reasoner and Morley Safer. He details some of the more controversial episodes in his career, including the libel lawsuit brought against him by General William Westmoreland, and his 60 Minutes piece about Brown & Williamson tobacco. He chronicles his years-long struggle with depression, as well as how the news industry has changed since he started. Steve McClellan conducted the interview on April 17, 1998 in New York, NY.
Highlights
Mike Wallace on Night Beat producer Ted Yates, and on The Mike Wallace Interview
Mike Wallace on ABC News president John Charles Daly not wanting The Mike Wallace Interview or Mike Wallace to be part of ABC News
Mike Wallace on his 60 Minutes piece on Brown & Williamson tobacco, produced by Lowell Bergman
Mike Wallace on his 60 Minutes interview with Ayatollah Khomeini
Mike Wallace on his controversials Mickey Cohen and Drew Pearson interview on The Mike Wallace Interview
Mike Wallace on what makes a good interview
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on radio he listened to growing up, and on movies he liked
On his first job in radio after college, and on aspiring to be a radio announcer; on his first, big time radio announcing jobs; on his earliest experiences with television at WBKB in Michigan, and on the early days of television in Chicago
Chapter 2
On his first impressions of television; on his first shows Mike and Buff and Night Beat
Chapter 3
On his work on TV's Newsbeat, Race for Space, and covering the 1960 Presidential election
Chapter 4
On anchoring The CBS Morning News; on covering Richard Nixon's presidential campaign in 1967-68; on joining 60 Minutes at the behest of Don Hewitt
On the first episode of 60 Minutes, and Harry Reasoner leaving the show; on what he expected from 60 Minutes when he started on it, and on how stories are selected; on working with Harry Reasoner on 60 Minutes
On working with Morley Safer on 60 Minutes; on his 60 Minutes piece on Brown & Williamson tobacco, produced by Lowell Bergman
Chapter 5
On 60 Minutes' coverage of the Vietnam War; on 60 Minutes' coverage of Watergate; Mike Wallace on being sued for libel by William Westmoreland after he interviewed him for his special The Uncounted Enemy: A Vietnam Deception
On being hospitalized for exhaustion, and on dealing with depression; on interviewing President Lyndon B. Johnson; on how the industry has changed since he started and what makes a good interview
Chapter 6
on his 60 Minutes interview with Ayatollah Khomeini; on how his notoriety impacted his interviews, and on 60 Minutes legacy with the American public; on a journalist's code of ethics
On people he's worked with in his career
Shows
60 Minutes
Mike Wallace on joining 60 Minutes at the behest of Don Hewitt
Mike Wallace on the first episode of 60 Minutes, and Harry Reasoner leaving the show
Mike Wallace on what he expected from 60 Minutes when he started on it, and on how stories are selected
Mike Wallace on working with Harry Reasoner on 60 Minutes
Mike Wallace on working with Morley Safer on 60 Minutes
Mike Wallace on his 60 Minutes piece on Brown & Williamson tobacco, produced by Lowell Bergman, and on Don Hewitt's objections to it
Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes' coverage of the Vietnam War
Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes' coverage of Watergate
Mike Wallace on his 60 Minutes interview with Ayatollah Khomeini
Mike Wallace on how his notoriety impacted his interviews, and on 60 Minutes legacy with the American public
CBS News
Mike Wallace on anchoring The CBS Morning News
Jack Benny Program, The
Mike Wallace on appearing on The Jack Benny Program
Mike and Buff
Mike Wallace on his interview show with Buff Cobb Mike and Buff
Night Beat
Mike Wallace on the creation of Night Beat
Mike Wallace on Night Beat producer Ted Yates, and on The Mike Wallace Interview
Mike Wallace on Night Beat adapting print journalist techniques for television
Race for Space, The
Mike Wallace on hosting The Race for Space for producer David Wolper
Stand By for Crime
Mike Wallace on his early impressions of television, and on appearing on Stand By for Crime
Topics
Classic TV Series Episodes
Mike Wallace on the first episode of 60 Minutes, and Harry Reasoner leaving the show
Historic Events and Social Change
Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes' coverage of the Vietnam War
Mike Wallace on being sued for libel (and beginning his battle with depression) by William Westmoreland after he interviewed him for his special The Uncounted Enemy: A Vietnam Deception
Mike Wallace on his 60 Minutes interview with Ayatollah Khomeini
Hollywood Blacklist
Mike Wallace on the era of the Hollywood Blacklist
Industry Crossroads
Mike Wallace on the era of the Hollywood Blacklist
Iran Hostage Crisis
Mike Wallace on his 60 Minutes interview with Ayatollah Khomeini
Lyndon B. Johnson
Mike Wallace on interviewing President Lyndon B. Johnson
Overcoming Adversity
Mike Wallace on being hospitalized for exhaustion, and on dealing with depression
Pivotal Career Moments
Mike Wallace on being hospitalized for exhaustion, and on dealing with depression
Pop Culture
Mike Wallace on the first episode of 60 Minutes, and Harry Reasoner leaving the show
Richard M. Nixon
Mike Wallace on covering Richard Nixon's presidential campaign in 1967-68
Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes' coverage of Watergate
Television and the Presidency
Mike Wallace on covering the 1960 presidential election for Westinghouse
Mike Wallace on covering Richard Nixon's presidential campaign in 1967-68
Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes' coverage of Watergate
Mike Wallace on interviewing President Lyndon B. Johnson
Television Industry
Mike Wallace on the era of the Hollywood Blacklist
Mike Wallace on how the industry has changed since he started
Mike Wallace on how the public perception of network news changed during his time
Vietnam War
Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes' coverage of the Vietnam War
Mike Wallace on being sued for libel (and beginning his battle with depression) by William Westmoreland after he interviewed him for his special The Uncounted Enemy: A Vietnam Deception
War
Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes' coverage of the Vietnam War
Mike Wallace on being sued for libel (and beginning his battle with depression) by William Westmoreland after he interviewed him for his special The Uncounted Enemy: A Vietnam Deception
Professions
Correspondent
Mike Wallace on his early interview style, and on early reporting jobs he had in television
Mike Wallace on a journalist's code of ethics
Hosts
Mike Wallace on what makes a great interview
Interviewer
Mike Wallace on what makes a great interview
Journalists & News Producers
Mike Wallace on his early interview style
Mike Wallace on a journalist's code of ethics
Genres
Comedy Series
Mike Wallace on appearing on The Jack Benny Program
Commercials
Mike Wallace on being a pitch man for Peter Pan peanut butter on Super Circus, and on a mishap on the show
News and Documentary
Mike Wallace on The Mike Wallace Interview
Mike Wallace on hosting The Race for Space for producer David Wolper
Mike Wallace on working on 60 Minutes
People
Lowell Bergman
Mike Wallace on his 60 Minutes piece on Brown & Williamson tobacco, produced by Lowell Bergman, and on Don Hewitt's objections to it
Buff Cobb
Mike Wallace on his interview show with Buff Cobb Mike and Buff
John Daly
Mike Wallace on ABC News president John Charles Daly not wanting The Mike Wallace Interview or Mike Wallace to be part of ABC News
Don Hewitt
Mike Wallace on joining 60 Minutes at the behest of Don Hewitt
Mike Wallace on his 60 Minutes piece on Brown & Williamson tobacco, produced by Lowell Bergman, and on Don Hewitt's objections to it
Lyndon B. Johnson
Mike Wallace on interviewing President Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard M. Nixon
Mike Wallace on covering Richard Nixon's presidential campaign in 1967-68
Harry Reasoner
Mike Wallace on working with Harry Reasoner on 60 Minutes
Morley Safer
Mike Wallace on working with Morley Safer on 60 Minutes
Ted Yates
Mike Wallace on Night Beat producer Ted Yates, and on The Mike Wallace Interview