60 Minutes (1968– )

60 Minutes seemed to be created in a time when America needed answers --in depth, hard hitting, guerrilla journalism about the inner dealings in Washington, Corporations, the Heart of America - the pulse of the world politic. The gold standard with many imitators, 60 Minutes could run as long as there is a need for finding the REAL truth in what effects us beyond the "evening news".

60 Minutes reporters asked the hard questions and KEPT asking the hard questions - many times revealing things publicly that we already suspected. It gave us facts, so that we could to draw our own conclusions and DO something about what we were presented.

60 Minutes was a public service. A place to go to to find out what corruption is occurring and what happens while we sleep. It was also a place to see the best interviews with heads of countries we knew nothing about.

Now in 2006, 60 Minutes is still around. A little bruised and battered for a younger generation who feels that news has to have a punch line like a variety show, and that there is no reason to care about what a corporation is doing beyond what Tina Fey jokes about on Saturday Night Live.

60 Minutes is reality programming. Reality journalism and to be honest -as a young person, I had no reason to sit and watch. Reality news journalism is frightening. It was my "parent's" show.

Now that I am older and look back, I was dead wrong and wished I had the sense I have now to pay more attention to 60 Minutes than I did.

The 60 Minutes Producers, Reporters and Researchers over the years put their lives and careers on the line many, many times - even against their own employer - CBS, CBS Corporate, etc, to try to bring us as straight of scoop as allowed - and break as much as they could - so we could all be informed and DO something about it. Bless them all.

And then there is Andy Rooney. Everyone's 'cantancerous' grand-dad. You may not agree with EVERYTHING he says, but when you do, it's time to do something about it.

Now 60 Minutes has reached a turning point, they are at a time when they need to introduce new VETERAN journalists that would have the same heart, drive and ambition as the ones before them - and I hope they do. And there in lies the tale of 60 Minutes. Journalist who are vets in their field, and not high priced entertainment fluff who can read a teleprompter and cry on cue.

I hope that I am wrong that Network Journalism is about the money and not about the story - the dirty, non-glamorous America and World news that lets us know that major corporations are dirt and will bowl over anyone for a buck, that American Farmers need help, that Presidents can't give a good interview and lie, that dictators need to be taken down before their ego gets any larger, that War is Hell, that regular food products can be dangerous, that addition occurs with additives that are secretly placed in places we wouldn't ave thought of, that Small Business is just as Bad as Corporations these days, that racism and sexism still exist, that one little person writing to Congress does not go unnoticed and that Congress and the Senate can abuse kids just like the guy down the street, etc. etc.

The World has NOT stopped turning -- and neither has 60 Minutes. As long as it is around, it keeps folks in check. And keeps other networks scrambling for competition. It's all good, for us.

There was a joke that went around the corporate community for many years. It went something like this:

"I know our company is doing okay because I don't see Mike Wallace or Ed Bradley coming into the building with a camera crew."

Exactly.