Page 14 - aruba-today-20201230

a14 people & arts
Wednesday 30 december 2020
'60 Minutes' keeps on the news and is rewarded by viewers

elect in 2016. But this time,
"there was a different feel-
ing in the room from the
moment we walked in."
He said he confronted a
press representative when
he saw Trump's team was
preparing to videotape the
interview, reminding them
of an agreement not to use
the material. When Trump
threatened to release the
unedited tapes, Owens
protested and tried to stop
it. The White House went
ahead anyway, allowing
outsiders a rare opportu-
nity to see how the show
crafted raw material into a
finished, edited piece. Like
the interview itself, that ul-
timately proved unremark-
able.
"I was heartened — not
surprised, but heartened —
that we had almost no criti-
cism over our editing, which
This image released by CBS News shows "60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl on the set. CBS' pioneering newsmagazine is people thought was fair,"
consistently one of the most-watched programs on television and its viewership is up 9 percent over last year, the Nielsen company
said. Stahl said. "That was pleas-
Associated Press ing. But I knew it would be
fair. We're always fair."
Owens said that "we didn't
By DAVID BAUDER for the last few years, every That has encouraged pro- lace, Morley Safer, Ed Brad- feel good that we were un-
AP Media Writer week has been unpredict- files of Jerry Seinfeld, Viola ley and Bob Simon. Yet it's able to deliver a more ful-
NEW YORK (AP) — One of able. You have to be pre- Davis, David Attenborough noteworthy how "60 Min- some interview. But it also
television's hottest shows is pared to jump. and Ken Burns to be mixed utes" has maintained mo- wasn't of our own choos-
also among its oldest. "It's part of the reason that in with stories on autism, a mentum while turning to a ing."
It's not the first time that's we have continued to be growing grizzly bear popu- new generation of report- How about going back,
been said about "60 Min- successful, and continue lation and a striking Scott ers like Pelley, Cooper, Bill and offering Trump the
utes" since its 1968 debut. to get a new stream of Pelley piece on churches Whitaker and Jon Wert- first TV interview of his post-
In the frenzied news year of young people to come hewn into rock in Ethiopia. heim, Heyward said. presidency?
2020, however, the success in and watch," she said. "I "60 Minutes" this fall has "The key to the program's "I haven't given that much
is a tribute to both durability also think that people find featured interviews with success is really smart story thought," Owens said. "I
and adaptability. a certain kind of comfort in fired government cyber- selection, really deep re- have a feeling we wouldn't
CBS' pioneering newsmag- the fact that we do it in the security chief Chris Krebs, search and really good re- be his first shot."
azine is consistently one same way we've always former President Barack porters and producers out Stahl, too, has moved on.
of the most-watched pro- done it. It looks the same, Obama and poisoned there doing the work," he She's preparing for an in-
grams on television and its the sensibility is the same, Russian opposition lead- said. terview with House Speaker
viewership is up 9% over last the DNA is the same." er Alexei Navalny. "In this While Trump's ongoing ef- Nancy Pelosi.
year, the Nielsen company Anderson Cooper's re- newsiest of years, it's fitting fort to stay in office was ad- Stahl said she's completely
said. That's more than any port on lingering COV- that '60 Minutes' became dressed in the Krebs inter- healed from her own rough
other prime-time program ID-19 symptoms received even more responsive to view, Owens said he's cho- bout with COVID-19 last
on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, a strong response this fall, the headlines," said An- sen not to give additional spring. That contrasts with
and also one of only four and there have been other drew Heyward, former CBS oxygen to the story. her husband, who had a
to show a year-to-year in- pandemic-related stories News president and now Stahl's off-the-rails inter- relatively mild case, but still
crease. about vaccine develop- research professor at Arizo- view with the president will feels lingering symptoms,
All that, and a well-pub- ment and problems pro- na State's Walter Cronkite likely be the season's most- she said.
licized dust-up with Presi- ducing protective equip- School of Journalism and remembered moment. Her experience hasn't had
dent Donald Trump, too. ment. Reporters almost Mass Communication. Trump became disgusted much impact on her work,
After executive producer always return from corona- Original executive produc- with Stahl's questioning and both physically and in influ-
Bill Owens turned the show virus stories with ideas for er Don Hewitt often ran "60 cut things short. encing the types of stories
primarily over to COVID-19 others, Owens said. Minutes" as an island unto "I've had people say to me, she wants to do, she said.
coverage last spring, "60 "The thing about this story itself. His replacement, Jeff 'He set you up. He planned She does feel a connection
Minutes" has returned to is that it really does touch Fager, pushed the broad- that,'" Stahl said. "I am ab- to stories about health care
its traditional format while every part of our lives," he cast to be more responsive solutely positive that that's workers, because she's
being focused on being said. "It's not that we're to the news and Owens has not the case. It happened seen how hard they work.
timely. looking to just do stories emphasized it even more organically in the room." "One person who took care
"We're being encouraged, about the pandemic. We over the past nine months. Owens said "60 Minutes" of me said — when I got
and we do, to look for sto- want to do relevant stories The show's ticking stop- has had a decent profes- better — that I was the first
ries that relate to the week," about the pandemic. But watch has never changed, sional relationship with person she had taken care
said veteran correspon- I also think people need a and Stahl is a living link to Trump, who gave Stahl his of who hadn't died," she
dent Lesley Stahl. "Certainly break." late reporters Mike Wal- first interview as president- said.q