60 Minutes' Morley Safer Dies at 84

Television correspondent Morley Safer of 60 Minutes, right, looks at a birthday cake during the Jewish Museum’s 100th birthday celebration at the museum January 21, 2004 in New York City. Photo: Stephen Chernin/Getty Images

Veteran CBS journalist Morely Safer died today (Thursday, May 19) in Manhattan at age 84. Safer worked for the investigative news magazine program “60 Minutes” for more than 45 years, and appeared regularly on the CBS Evening News from spots around the world, including Vietnam during the war. He was the first network reporter to film a report from inside Communist China.

Safer won a total of four OPC Awards in 1965 and 1966. In 1965 he won the Best Radio and TV Reporting from Abroad and the George Polk Award, both for coverage of the Vietnam War, including a segment titled “The Burning of Cam Ne Village” that sparked public outrage. In 1966 he won the Best Radio and TV Reporting from Abroad again and Best Reporting for TV-Spot News, also for coverage of Vietnam.

News of his death prompted an outpouring of messages and remembrances online.

60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager tweeted work from his longtime colleague.

“Morley Safer has died. A masterful storyteller, inspiration to many of us and a wonderful friend.”

You can read an overview of his work on the 60 Minutes website here >>

He is survived by his wife, Jane, one daughter, Sarah Bakal, her husband, Alexander Bakal, three grandchildren, a sister and brother.

Plans for a memorial service will be announced at a later date.