Mike Wallace Extra Credit

The "Mike Wallace is Here" documentary was very inspiring, especially as an aspiring investigative journalist myself. I worry sometimes that newsrooms wouldn't hire me if I dared to actually ask tough questions. I would feel like a sellout if I did fluff interviews all the time in order to maintain access. That isn't what journalism is about. I loved the use of the split screen in the film and the director explained that at that time there were always two cameras recording the interviews. It gave us a chance to see the reactions and emotions of both parties at once. I also spoke with Bob Anderson who was on the panel. He was a producer at 60 Minutes and worked closely with Wallace. I asked Bob Anderson about the interview he produced with Mike Wallace and Putin, he recounted a part of the interview where time was running out and Putin's aides were pressuring Wallace to wrap up the interview. After passing a note to Wallace about the pressure of the aides, Wallace mentioned it to Putin, "Mr. President, your aides are pressuring us to end the interview, but if I could just ask you two or three more questions." Putin replied "No one can pressure us, I'm the President." Bob Anderson said that was the most revealing answer they got out of him in the entire interview. 

The documentary also touched on Mike Wallace's depression, and Bob Anderson revealed after the screening that there were actually two depression episodes in Wallace's life. He was very depressed about the loss of his son, divorcing from several wives, and spending less and less time with family due to work. He said that it felt like he was married to his job instead of his wife and even said that if he had missed calls from his wife and CNN, that he would call CNN back first without question. Bob Anderson said that it was a great decision of his to work off-camera instead of on-camera like Wallace. That loss of family time worries me, but I probably won't be as famous as Wallace anyway, but it is a little demotivating to know that. Overall the film was extremely inspirational and well edited. It gave me faith in journalism and really inspired me to follow that journalistic path anyway.