“60 Minutes”: An Hour of Edutainment

Last night I caught a CBS “60 Minutes” special on the late Don Hewitt, creator and executive producer of the show who died last summer. He served in that role until he was forced to retire in 2004 at the age of 81.

While Hewitt bridged generations from the days TV news was invented to the hyper local 24/7 news cycle, he never lost passion for his job. He called himself the ring master for “The Greatest Show on Earth” and he said the secret of the show’s success could be summed up in four simple words: “tell me a story.” That’s what audiences craved, and he was right as the show continued to rank among the most profitable business units of the network for decades. The show began in 1968 and it’s still running—longer than any other show on TV, which is truly amazing.

Armed with a feisty demeanor, correspondents and fellow news persons said his tirades were legendary. But that’s what allowed him to attract the best talent. Hewitt admitted he flunked out of college and was afflicted with ADD (attention deficit disorder); but said he managed to use his short attention span to his advantage.

“60 Minutes,” an hour-long, news and info program, pioneered “edutainment” and was condensed into three or four 15 minute segments. Why? Because Hewitt determined that was the attention span of Middle America. He honed into that simple fact and made boatloads of money for the network (and colleagues) in the process.

Always play to your strengths and then surround yourself with others who have talent in areas that compliment your unique skills. And, like Hewitt, always be open and receptive to a good debate. In his case, as the boss, he usually won. But, colleagues admitted—he was often right!

It’s a different era, but the show was reflective for me because I grew up as a staunch “60 Minutes” viewer. It was a mainstay for my parent’s generation, and as I got older, it was a mature and serious way to end the weekend and begin the week, providing nourishment in the news arena. Undoubtedly, this contributed to my role as a political junkie to this day.

Hewitt’s vision is what writers and editors must strive to achieve as they capture the limited attention spans of today’s splintered audiences. Audiences who have countless options: mobile media, Internet, radio, TV. Today, producers and channel managers have about a 15-second window to capture viewers’ attention, before viewers’ attention literally clicks to another subject.

When you write or produce: be pithy, be precise; cut out the clutter and get to the point.

Like Don Hewitt, do what you love and have the discipline to keep improving it over time. Have a simple clear message (“Tell me a story”) and follow-through on a simple theme or topic.

You never know what you might create as your legacy, leaving an impact for future generations. It doesn’t have to be on the magnitude of “60 Minutes,” but make sure your message can be delivered in bite-sized chunks. Make every minute count!