01of 12Honoring Ukrainians Lost to War60 Minutes/Eric KerchnerEarly in Russia’sinvasion of Ukraine,60 Minutescorrespondent and formerCBSEvening Newsanchor Scott Pelley spent time overseas to cover the war.There, on the outskirts of Kyiv near the town of Bucha, several bodies were exhumed from a national forest, where Ukrainians killed amid the fighting had been piled into a mass grave.Pelley tells PEOPLE that before he left Ukraine, he made a commitment that he would soon return to Bucha and find out who some of those victims were so that he could understand their lives and honor their “needless” sacrifice.Pictured here is Pelley doing just that, visiting Bucha in recent weeks to bring the world their stories.
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Honoring Ukrainians Lost to War
60 Minutes/Eric Kerchner
Early in Russia’sinvasion of Ukraine,60 Minutescorrespondent and formerCBSEvening Newsanchor Scott Pelley spent time overseas to cover the war.
There, on the outskirts of Kyiv near the town of Bucha, several bodies were exhumed from a national forest, where Ukrainians killed amid the fighting had been piled into a mass grave.
Pelley tells PEOPLE that before he left Ukraine, he made a commitment that he would soon return to Bucha and find out who some of those victims were so that he could understand their lives and honor their “needless” sacrifice.
Pictured here is Pelley doing just that, visiting Bucha in recent weeks to bring the world their stories.
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A Humble Leader
Bill Owens.Mary Kouw/CBS
Entering its 55th year on television,60 Minuteshas only ever had three executive producers. Bill Owens, himself 55 years old, stepped into the position in February 2019.
Throughout Owens' career, which began in 1988 as a summer intern at CBS, he says he’s been warned, “You might want to rethink this career choice. [Broadcast news] might not be around that much longer.” He chuckles now, seeing that60 Minutesmaintains a viewership of 9 million people on an average week — without having to modernize its format.
“I have no interest in changing the content [of60 Minutes], nor does anybody who works here,” he says.
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Joining Scientists in the Uganda Wilderness
Every year, Bill Whitaker looks for one story that takes him on an adventure. This season, it’s exploring a cave and climbing a mountain in the Uganda wilderness in search of bats and apes that have been infected with the next possible COVID virus.
And in the caves, Whitaker warns: “Wait until you see the bats.”
“The scientists were in love with them, so they’re looking at them and they’re going, ‘Oh, this is a beautiful specimen,'” he says. “And the rest of us were looking at the bat going, ‘Oh, my God, look at those teeth!'”
04of 12The Biden Sit-DownPresident Biden on ‘60 Minutes’.Eric Kerchner/60 MinutesThree days before the season 55 premiere, Scott Pelley sits down withJoe Bidenfor his first interview since becoming president.The interview, staged primarily in the Roosevelt Room of the White House (with a quick detour through the Oval Office), serves as a way to get candid responses from Biden about the state of affairs both abroad and at home, especially as he takes heat for rising prices that’ve strapped Americans thin.While explaining the topics he went in prepared to discuss with Biden, Pelley notes that his kids — ages 27 and 30 — had not previously witnessed inflation like this in their lifetime, calling it “gravely disappointing” to see how severe it’s gotten.Asked if it’s normal to turn around such a high-profile interview in only three days, Pelley tells PEOPLE it’s the standard for a story entwined with current events: “It needs to be right on the news.“Between Thursday and Sunday alone, Biden’s priorities could shift — any longer of a gap runs the risk of sharing outdated information.
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The Biden Sit-Down
President Biden on ‘60 Minutes’.Eric Kerchner/60 Minutes
Three days before the season 55 premiere, Scott Pelley sits down withJoe Bidenfor his first interview since becoming president.
The interview, staged primarily in the Roosevelt Room of the White House (with a quick detour through the Oval Office), serves as a way to get candid responses from Biden about the state of affairs both abroad and at home, especially as he takes heat for rising prices that’ve strapped Americans thin.
While explaining the topics he went in prepared to discuss with Biden, Pelley notes that his kids — ages 27 and 30 — had not previously witnessed inflation like this in their lifetime, calling it “gravely disappointing” to see how severe it’s gotten.
Asked if it’s normal to turn around such a high-profile interview in only three days, Pelley tells PEOPLE it’s the standard for a story entwined with current events: “It needs to be right on the news.”
Between Thursday and Sunday alone, Biden’s priorities could shift — any longer of a gap runs the risk of sharing outdated information.
05of 12On the Ground in Taiwan60 MinutesVeteran correspondent Lesley Stahl spent time in Taiwan recently to get an understanding of how locals feel aboutescalating tension with China.“Everybody who heard that I was in Taiwan was astonished that we would go into such a dangerous situation. ‘Were you scared? Was it terrifying?'” she recalls. “And then you go to Taiwan and they yawn. They are not scared. There’s no sense of danger in the air.“She tells PEOPLE that despite being “in the eye of the hurricane,” her crew would have no way of knowing that China had just shot a warning missile over the country.The reason locals gave her for feeling calm? “We’ve been living with this pressure for 70 years.”
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On the Ground in Taiwan
60 Minutes
Veteran correspondent Lesley Stahl spent time in Taiwan recently to get an understanding of how locals feel aboutescalating tension with China.
“Everybody who heard that I was in Taiwan was astonished that we would go into such a dangerous situation. ‘Were you scared? Was it terrifying?'” she recalls. “And then you go to Taiwan and they yawn. They are not scared. There’s no sense of danger in the air.”
She tells PEOPLE that despite being “in the eye of the hurricane,” her crew would have no way of knowing that China had just shot a warning missile over the country.
The reason locals gave her for feeling calm? “We’ve been living with this pressure for 70 years.”
06of 12A New Chapter BeginsMary Kouw/CBSJon Wertheim, executive editor ofSports Illustrated, joined the60 Minutesreporting team ahead of the 2017-‘18 season. With little broadcast experience at the time, it took a bit to learn the nuances that come with putting a story together for the small screen.“In some ways it’s a very similar drill” to magazine reporting, he tells PEOPLE, but in other ways, broadcast interviews couldn’t be more different. “It’s much more of discourse and a conversation.“Now entering his sixth season with the broadcast, he’s comfortable with the process and looks forward to a new season filled with new stories.Thinking back on his past segments, he takes pride in his coverage of Brexit and carries a fondness toward his time reporting on a Michigan couple who outsmarted the lottery and exploring an island off the coast of Newfoundland. “I really don’t take the variety for granted.”
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A New Chapter Begins
Mary Kouw/CBS
Jon Wertheim, executive editor ofSports Illustrated, joined the60 Minutesreporting team ahead of the 2017-‘18 season. With little broadcast experience at the time, it took a bit to learn the nuances that come with putting a story together for the small screen.
“In some ways it’s a very similar drill” to magazine reporting, he tells PEOPLE, but in other ways, broadcast interviews couldn’t be more different. “It’s much more of discourse and a conversation.”
Now entering his sixth season with the broadcast, he’s comfortable with the process and looks forward to a new season filled with new stories.
Thinking back on his past segments, he takes pride in his coverage of Brexit and carries a fondness toward his time reporting on a Michigan couple who outsmarted the lottery and exploring an island off the coast of Newfoundland. “I really don’t take the variety for granted.”
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Catching Up with Ina Garten
60 Minutes/Aaron Tomlinson
Someone’s in the kitchen with Ina… and it’s60 Minutescorrespondent Sharyn Alfonsi!
08of 12Discussing Their ApproachLesley Stahl in her N.Y.C. office.Mary Kouw/CBSAfter conducting interviews and completing research for a story, correspondents return to the office to begin packaging the piece.“I work on four stories at the same time,” Lesley Stahl, who first started at60 Minutesin 1991, says — one story per producer on her team. “And I like that. I like bouncing from one to the other.“On the day PEOPLE visits the60 Minutesstudio, Stahl discusses how best to approach her Taiwan segment.
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Discussing Their Approach
Lesley Stahl in her N.Y.C. office.Mary Kouw/CBS
After conducting interviews and completing research for a story, correspondents return to the office to begin packaging the piece.
“I work on four stories at the same time,” Lesley Stahl, who first started at60 Minutesin 1991, says — one story per producer on her team. “And I like that. I like bouncing from one to the other.”
On the day PEOPLE visits the60 Minutesstudio, Stahl discusses how best to approach her Taiwan segment.
09of 12The Origin of Man’s Best Friend?60 Minutes/Eric KerchnerAnderson Coopercan make any topic more fun, so it seems safe to assume that his upcoming package on lovable canines is poised to be a fan favorite this season.Curious how everyday dogs (one of the friendliest species around) evolved from wolves (known for their aggression), Cooper sets out to learn the origin of dogs’ gentle temperament. Along the way, he starts to uncover how humans fit into the equation.Cooper, also notable for anchoring the long-running CNN showAnderson Cooper 360°, has been in the60 Minutesfamily for 15 years now.
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The Origin of Man’s Best Friend?
Anderson Coopercan make any topic more fun, so it seems safe to assume that his upcoming package on lovable canines is poised to be a fan favorite this season.
Curious how everyday dogs (one of the friendliest species around) evolved from wolves (known for their aggression), Cooper sets out to learn the origin of dogs’ gentle temperament. Along the way, he starts to uncover how humans fit into the equation.
Cooper, also notable for anchoring the long-running CNN showAnderson Cooper 360°, has been in the60 Minutesfamily for 15 years now.
10of 12Settling into a New RoutineMary Kouw/CBSBill Whitaker has journeyed to Iceland and Uganda on assignment since the pandemic began, but for now he’s enjoying the honeymoon phase of returning to work at the60 Minutesoffice, he tells PEOPLE.“We found that it was possible to put on this broadcast with people working remotely,” Whitaker says. “But coming into the office has a certain…“He doesn’t need to elaborate — theje ne sais quoiis apparent in his environment: teammates working from a couch near his desk, a relaxing view of the Hudson River, plenty of desk space for keeping his notes organized.“Bouncing off of people, you get ideas,” he says of working in the vicinity of others, noting that something’s “lacking when you’re in your pajamas in front of your home computer.““Now, consider this from somebody who’s just been coming back to the office for two weeks,” he adds.
10of 12
Settling into a New Routine
Bill Whitaker has journeyed to Iceland and Uganda on assignment since the pandemic began, but for now he’s enjoying the honeymoon phase of returning to work at the60 Minutesoffice, he tells PEOPLE.
“We found that it was possible to put on this broadcast with people working remotely,” Whitaker says. “But coming into the office has a certain…”
He doesn’t need to elaborate — theje ne sais quoiis apparent in his environment: teammates working from a couch near his desk, a relaxing view of the Hudson River, plenty of desk space for keeping his notes organized.
“Bouncing off of people, you get ideas,” he says of working in the vicinity of others, noting that something’s “lacking when you’re in your pajamas in front of your home computer.”
“Now, consider this from somebody who’s just been coming back to the office for two weeks,” he adds.
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60 Minutes/Michael Gavshon
His job often takes him to cool places, but he’s quick to remind people that it’s not exactly leisurely travel.
“People say, ‘Oh, we went to South Africa on our honeymoon! Did you get to so-and-so beach?’ And you’re like, ‘No, I woke up at 5:00 in the morning to get to the shoot,'” he says. “It may as well be going to Kansas City on a business trip.”
Still, Wertheim was in his element at the game — and does admit that there were a few moments during the visit where he was able to pause, take the experience in and think, “Oh my God, this is gorgeous.”
12of 12The First Full Cast PhotoThe cast of ‘60 Minutes’ as seen in the Sept. 20 issue of ‘Watch Magazine’.CBS Watch MagazineBased in different areas of the United States and always on the road, the correspondent team rarely find themselves together in one place. This year, CBS rallied them for a long-overdue photoshoot that will appear in the Sept. 20 issue ofWatch Magazine.From left to right: Sharyn Alfonsi, Scott Pelley, Bill Whitaker, Lesley Stahl, Jon Wertheim and Anderson Cooper.
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The First Full Cast Photo
The cast of ‘60 Minutes’ as seen in the Sept. 20 issue of ‘Watch Magazine’.CBS Watch Magazine
Based in different areas of the United States and always on the road, the correspondent team rarely find themselves together in one place. This year, CBS rallied them for a long-overdue photoshoot that will appear in the Sept. 20 issue ofWatch Magazine.
From left to right: Sharyn Alfonsi, Scott Pelley, Bill Whitaker, Lesley Stahl, Jon Wertheim and Anderson Cooper.
source: people.com
