Nation Shocked To Hear ‘60 Minutes’ May Not Be The Bastion Of Journalistic Excellence We Once Thought They Were!

Having a go at 60 Minutes now seems almost passé; like, it’s not as though they haven’t been churning out utter drivel and questionable ethics for some time now.

However, perhaps inspired by but not limited to the John and Jenny Deaves blow-up, the critics are coming out hard and fast against Nine’s flagship Sunday night program, with everyone from George Negus to Nine’s own head of news calling it out on shonky journalistic techniques and iffy-at-best story choices.

News chief John Westacott said “on balance” the flagship news show should have included the fact that the father and daughter couple from Adelaide had a previous son, Jackson, in 2001, who died of a heart defect at four days.

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“60 Minutes knew about the birth of the first child and doctors believe it wasn’t because of the father-daughter relationship [that the baby died] but, on balance, it would have been better to include that fact,” Mr Westacott said yesterday.

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The main criticism of the show was unloaded by former 60 Minutes reporter George Negus and former Nine Network CEO Sam Chisholm.

It follows reports of a private outburst about the quality of the show by on-air star Liam Bartlett at a farewell party for another 60 Minutes stalwart, Ray Martin.

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Negus said 60 Minutes had become a “long version of A Current Affair”.

“I’ve felt they lost not the plot, but the sense of direction and sense of purpose,” he said. “It’s the story selection, but also the approach to the story – when they get it – has become voyeuristic rather than journalistic. It sure is different to my day.”

Mr Chisholm said 60 Minutes and Channel Nine had lost dominance of news and current affairs.

“Sadly, Nine’s enormous credibility in the marketplace has disappeared,” he said. “The Seven Network and the ABC have now captured this ground.”

All good news for Nine, don’t you think!

Shall we just assume that it’s Logies all ’round for Peter Overton and the 60 Minutes crew, then?