Fifty Years of 60 Minutes

The Inside Story of Television's Most Influential News Broadcast

By: Jeff Fager

Narrated by: Jeff Fager

“An illuminating TV show biography” (Kirkus Reviews), the ultimate inside story of 60 Minutes—the program that has tracked and shaped the biggest moments in post-war American history.

From its almost accidental birth in 1968, 60 Minutes has set the standard for broadcast journalism. The show has profiled every major leader, artist, and movement of the past five decades, perfecting the news-making interview and inventing the groundbreaking TV exposé. From legendary sit-downs with Richard Nixon in 1968 and Bill Clinton in 1992 to landmark investigations into the tobacco industry, Lance Armstrong’s doping, and the torture of prisoners in Abu-Ghraib, the broadcast has not just reported on our world but changed it, too.

Executive Producer Jeff Fager takes us into the editing room with the show’s brilliant producers and beloved correspondents, including hard-charging Mike Wallace, writer’s-writer Morley Safer, soft-but-tough Ed Bradley, relentless Lesley Stahl, intrepid Scott Pelley, and illuminating storyteller Steve Kroft. He details the decades of human drama that have made the show’s success possible: the ferocious competition between correspondents, the door slamming, the risk-taking, and the pranks. Above all, Fager reveals the essential tenets that have never changed: why founder Don Hewitt believed “hearing” a story is more important than seeing it, why the “small picture” is the best way to illuminate a larger one, and why the most memorable stories are almost always those with a human being at the center.

“As traditional reporting is increasingly being challenged by high-decibel, opinion-drenched media, Fager highlights storytelling that conveys a deep understanding of issues and demonstrates the power of television to inform” (The Washington Post). Fifty Years of 60 Minutes is at once a sweeping portrait of fifty years of American cultural history and an intimate look at how the news gets made.

Critic reviews

"An illuminating TV show biography."

"As traditional reporting is increasingly being challenged by high-decibel, opinion-drenched media, Fager highlights storytelling that conveys a deep understanding of issues and demonstrates the power of television to inform."

Loved this book!!!!

What a great listen!!!!! It was a great listen and I think you will enjoy it too.

Extra Insight was interesting.

I enjoyed a behind the scenes look at a shothat show that continues to set the industry standard.

Fascinating, Phenominal, and Timely.

In a time when journalism is under attacked, this book reminds us why '60 Minutes' remains a cherished American institution.

Nostalgic Nostalgic

I have followed "60 Minutes" since its very first broadcast, so this book was a nice trip down memory lane. I can't put my finger on it, but it seemed like there was always something lurking in the background that the author wasn't telling us. Two specific things that I wish were different, included my dislike for how the story of 60 Minutes starts not at the beginning of its broadcast history, but in the middle. I did not follow the reasoning for this decision. Second, I thought some of the audio clips from the show were horrible in terms of the technical aspects. Some of these were simply very difficult to understand in the audiobook. Overall though, I'm glad this book was written.

The 60 Minutes Way

Any journalist, at any level, should find this book fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed every word.