Although this is some what old news, it is important to note the face of 60 minutes, Mike Wallace had deceased earlier this month. He was notorious for his relentless lust for the truth, especially in revealing controversies and scandals. He was also famous for his work in Vietnam during the 1960's as a war correspondent.
The advent of Wallace's career reminded me of our guest speaker James Kotecki where his initial career path was not necessarily a straight journalist. He worked as a radio news writer which has some similarities with his late career, but nonetheless began his career without a traditional journalist background. His popularity came with his ability to "speak for the people" when interviewing individuals (CNN.Com). The foundations of democracy and our right as citizens of the United States is somewhat voiced vicariously through Wallace. Wallace's work is able to stand the test of time even with the large shift to digital journalism and his legacy in investigative journalism stands as a stepping stone for many other aspiring journalists.
CNN's Article on Mike Wallace
Very interesting -- and initially counterintuitive -- comparison of Wallace to Kotecki. But your point about how the career trajectories of those who find careers in journalism often doesn't follow a unidirectional path through journalism school and entry level positions learning the trade apprenticing to others.
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