Breaking news - Remembering Mike Wallace 1918-2012

Coming across the wires now.

He was 93 years old.

His son, Chris Wallace, currently works for FoxNews.

Remembering Mike Wallace 1918-2012

(CBS News) For half a century, he took on corrupt politicians, scam artists and bureaucratic bumblers. His visits were preceded by the four dreaded words: Mike Wallace is here.


Wallace took to heart the old reporter's pledge to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. He characterized himself as "nosy and insistent."


So insistent, there were very few 20th century icons who didn't submit to a Mike Wallace interview. He lectured Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, on corruption. He lectured Yassir Arafat on violence.


He asked the Ayatollah Khoumeini if he were crazy.


He traveled with Martin Luther King (whom Wallace called his hero). He grappled with Louis Farrakhan.


And he interviewed Malcolm X shortly before his assassination.


He was no stranger to the White House, interviewing his friends the Reagans . . . John F. Kennedy . . . Lyndon Johnson . . . Jimmy Carter. Even Eleanor Roosevelt.

click link for remainder of story / information.

A fitting end to a fitting career - An exclusive with the big guy upstairs.


Sources -
Media Decoder - Mike Wallace, ’60 Minutes’ Pioneer, Dies

reply to post by Xcathdra


We can only hope that others in the media realise that this man is the yard stick by which they are measured.

Link

Mike Wallace, a pioneer of American broadcasting who confronted leaders and liars for the newsmagazine “60 Minutes” for four decades, has died, CBS News said Sunday morning. He was 93.

He had a good and long life. RIP

maybe his son should take this as an opportunity to review who writes his cheques every month.
even the murdochs are distancing themselves from their own empire

It's a shame that all these pioneers in video journalism are now leaving us for the greatest interview of all. I think many of our modern reporters (or talking heads, as I like to call them) could take a tip or two from these guys. Journalism has certainly gone down hill.

What ever happened to "Just the facts, ma'am" ?



-TS

Mike Wallace was a good man, and a good journalist. His likes will not be seen again.

RIP brother.

Mike Wallace was a good man. Unfortunately, serious journalism has been replaced with tabloid journalism.

It could sound cold in a thread like this, but his name means nothing to me.

The "idol" status achieved by some media people may have been a part of the reason why the media companies got to where they are now, as people were more interested in who was where than what should be on the news.

Anyway, rest in peace, Mike Wallace.

reply to post by ArMaP


I got to agree with you. Never heard of the guy, probably because of two major factors. I grew up without much TV, I was limited to an hour a day, and lots of time didn't even bother using it. Also I am probably too young even if I had been a TV watcher. Well, from what has been said so far he seemed to be good at what he did.

Originally posted by ArMaP
It could sound cold in a thread like this, but his name means nothing to me.

The "idol" status achieved by some media people may have been a part of the reason why the media companies got to where they are now, as people were more interested in who was where than what should be on the news.

Anyway, rest in peace, Mike Wallace.

Mike Wallace WAS 60 Minutes. He was an old school journalist that hung with the likes of Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite. One thing he most definitely was not was anybody's yes man.

I'm sure that he was upset at what journalism has become. It's no longer a means of getting out information; it's a beauty contest. All you have to do is watch the train of blond former Miss Americas to see that. Now, it's not the news, but how you look delivering it that matters, and it's becoming a generational thing. FOX's Steve Doocy has a son, Peter, a good looking boy no doubt, but just WTF is he doing getting plum assignments like anchoring weekend shifts and breaking news? Everybody else (used to) have to spend a decade in the trenches before getting a network slot. Peter has no practical experience.

Mike would not approve.

I watched his"Biography"series as a child and learned alot from them.He was a great journalist and didnt pull punches in his interviews with world learders.R.I.P Mike.

RIP, sir.

A class act.

Seems to me the trend of the media being used as propaganda goes back to its inception. I doubt this man should be idolized as some mythical crusader of social justice. Now, if John Pilger died perhaps some should grieve the death of a great journalist as he exposed those who are truly in power and always challenged the status quo. Has this man done the same, or did he work within the framework established by the financial interests of power, whether state or corporate? Is he a hero to a certain party or something? Maybe someone could fill me in on his accomplishments concerning "waking" people up. I've seen his son and his son is nothing more than a man who sold his soul, either knowingly or unknowingly, for the illusion of power and wealth. In his mind he thinks he made it, when in reality he is at the bottom of the pile of human filth.

I just want people to rethink their "glory days" of corporate "journalism." Way back when during Vietnam, the corporate media was there to push the idea of war and its acceptance by the American public. Take your pick of corporate outlets, either tv, print, or radio. The corporate media has been molding the opinions and positions of the American clay for well over half a century. Bounding the debate to either x or y, but never allowing for fundamentally different opinions, than the established reality, to ever be heard on its own merit, as that would be dangerous to the state and corporate powers. People can only think in black and white, due to the brainwashing of corporate media. Perhaps, within a certain dialogue and with only part of the picture, this was a man who exposed power, but perhaps, with a different view of the big picture, he was just a part of the machine offering breadcrumbs to would-be intellectuals every now and then while never veering from the established state/corporate reality. I don't trust corporate whores to tell the whole truth basically, and I don't care how far back you want to go, and the "back in my day" argument is just plain wrong. The real journalists out there are the ones you and I have never heard of on corporate media. Corporate power was less concentrated back in the 60's and 70's, but it was already to the point of saturation allowing the manipulation of the public. Perhaps, back then more truth against power got out, but the methods of controlling opinion already existed to squelch the opposition. End rant against corporate media.

Originally posted by OldCorp
Mike Wallace WAS 60 Minutes. He was an old school journalist that hung with the likes of Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite. One thing he most definitely was not was anybody's yes man.

I didn't say (or imply) that he was a "yes man".

What I meant is that those original TV journalists were treated like idols by many people, and those people kept on idolising the media people, regardless of how they work.

The media companies took advantage of that.

Sad news, I very much enjoyed his stories and commentaries. It's unfortunate that 60 minutes has chosen to go with the occasional likes of people like anderson cooper, he does little for the show and, imo, reduces what a show like 60 minutes has accomplished.

rip

brill

Ermmmm.... I would swear that he died a couple of months ago.

That's a little spooky.

"What's the frequency Kenneth?"

No argument he was excellent at his craft but.... he still he did some highly biased agenda driven discrediting take out stories as was the near norm with 60 minutes. CIA, PTB?

reply to post by Xcathdra

I did not know, so thank you for bringing this onboard. Wallace, Cronkite and Moyers are the last of a dying breed in journalism that stood for the original intent, watchdogs. As far back as I can recall(60's) Wallace has interviewed the most flamboyant, dangerous, spectacular and iconic figures in recent history. Wallace did not pull any punches either and his service in journalism is unmatched.
RIP Mike and blessings to your family and friends.

Peace,
spec

Originally posted by OldCorp
Mike Wallace was a good man, and a good journalist. His likes will not be seen again.

RIP brother.

Not really no. He's always been an activist "journalist" and continued being a partisan, bias "journalist" till the end of his career. I guess that's ok though, when you're shilling for the right side.

Originally posted by ArMaP

Originally posted by OldCorp
Mike Wallace WAS 60 Minutes. He was an old school journalist that hung with the likes of Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite. One thing he most definitely was not was anybody's yes man.

I didn't say (or imply) that he was a "yes man".

What I meant is that those original TV journalists were treated like idols by many people, and those people kept on idolising the media people, regardless of how they work.

The media companies took advantage of that.

I didn't mean to imply that you implied.

That was kind of my point, those old school journalists ARE idols to many, especially those in the profession (too bad no one is living up to their ideals.) It's important to remember that they started off in print or radio, so it was the story that mattered. Even in the early years of television, we didn't see "stars" in the news business. That has all changed, beginning with Dan Rather and Peter Jennings. Rather did earn his spot, having reported from the battlefields of Vietnam; Jennings on the other hand was really the first "pretty boy" network news anchor.

The problem comes when it is the journalist that gets more attention than the story. Have you seen what the female news anchors, especially on FOX, are wearing these days? Meagan Kelly looks stunning, but she also looks like she's about to go to a cocktail party.

It reminds me of a song.