Joseph Wershba was a professional journalist who joined the
CBS News team in 1944, where he served as a writer, editor and correspondent died he was , 90. He was one of the six original producers of
CBS's
60 Minutes[1] from 1968-88.
(August 19, 1920 – May 14, 2011)
Early life
He was the eldest child of Louis and Martha (née Peskin) Wershba, and had two younger siblings. His father was a garment worker. Wershba attended
Abraham Lincoln High School. He entered
Brooklyn College but dropped out after 3 years in 1940 and was drafted into the Army during World War II.
[2]
CBS News Career
In 1944 he was hired and spent four years as a writer for radio news programs. Later, at the Washington Bureau, he worked as a reporter on
Hear It Now with
Ed Friendly and
Edward R. Murrow. His work with Murrow on
See It Now reported on the activities of
Senator Joseph McCarthy.
[citation needed] Wershba started in television journalism working the microphone with
Walter Cronkite on CBS's Washington, D.C. station news. After a stint as a columnist and feature writer for
The New York Post (1958–1964), he returned to CBS. He produced documentaries for "CBS Reports" and was one of the original producers for "60 Minutes" in 1968.
Recognition
Joseph Wershba received the
Silurian Award for lifetime achievement in journalism. He was also nominated for a
Pulitzer Prize for his work on
The Lee Harvey Oswald Story in 1963. Other awards include the
Hillman Prize,
Emmys,
American Bar Association, and
Peabodys. He won two Emmy awards at
60 Minutes, for, respectively,
What Happened in Tonkin Gulf (1971) and
Teddy Kollek's Jerusalem (1978).
[2]
Personal life
He and his wife/professional partner, Shirley, had two children. The couple initially was forced to keep their marriage secret due to CBS network regulations. Shirley Wershba developed one of the first shows to focus on women's issues,
Dimensions of a Women's World. The Wershbas resided in
New Hyde Park, New York.
Good Night and Good Luck
Wershba was portrayed by
Robert Downey, Jr. in the 2005 film
Good Night, and Good Luck. The secrecy of the Wershba marriage was a significant subsidiary theme in the film.
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He was the eldest child of Louis and Martha (née Peskin) Wershba, and had two younger siblings. His father was a garment worker. Wershba attended Abraham Lincoln High School. He entered Brooklyn College but dropped out after 3 years in 1940 and was drafted into the Army during World War II.[2]
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