Lesley Stahl Biography
Lesley Stahl is a journalist who works as a news reporter and correspondent for 60 Minutes on CBS. Stahl began her career in 1971 on CBS News as a news producer and has remained with CBS till date as of 2020.
How old is 60 Minutes Correspondent Lesley Stahl? – Age
Born as Lesley Rene Stahl, the news reporter is 78 years old as of December 16, 2019. She was born in 1941 in Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S.
Lesley Stahl Husband – Spouse
Stahl is married to Aaron Latham, also an American journalist who is known for being the author of the article that inspired the making of the movie ‘Urban Cowboy’. The couple has been married since 1977. They have one child together, a daughter by the name Taylor Stahl Latham.
Lesley Stahl’s Career as a News Reporter
After leaving school, Stahl joined WHDH-TV, Boston’s original Channel 5. She was an on-air reporter and producer for the channel until 1971 when she joined CBS News. She credits her job opportunity at CBS News to the Federal Communications Commission’s 1972 inclusion of women in its affirmative action mandate. In 1974, she became a correspondent on CBS News.
Stahl became known for her coverage of the Watergate. She was relatively new at CBS but was given the assignment as the story was considered unimportant. She covered the court appearances for the men who had been arrested for breaking into one of the Watergate complex buildings. At the time, she was the only reporter on the story, hence, CBS was the only network with pictures of the burglars. This made Stahl a hero at the bureau.
During the governance of Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, Stahl had become a White House correspondent still on CBS. In 1980, at the Republican Convention, it was Stahl that broke the news that the vice-presidential nominee would be George H. W. Bush.
From September 1983 to May 1991, Stahl worked as the moderator of Face the Nation, a weekly news and public affairs news program on CBS, airing on Sundays. Between 2002 and 2004, she was the host of ’48 Hours Investigates’.
Lesley Stahl 60 Minutes
Since March 1991, Stahl has been a correspondent on 60 Minutes, a television news magazine broadcast on CBS. On 60 Minutes, Stahl has conducted so many interviews with some that have stood out like in October 2007 when she interviewed the then President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy. When Stahl raised the question of Sarkozy’s relationship with his soon-to-be estranged wife, Cécilia, he walked out on the interview.
President Trump’s ’60 Minutes’ Interview with Lesley Stahl
In late October 2020, Stahl had a scheduled interview with the President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump and the Vice-President Mike Pence. The interview was meant to run for 60 minutes, as the title suggests, but at like the 38th minute, President Trump walked out of the interview complaining that Stahl was biased and “negative”.
Trump threatened to release his own video of the interview, which he did on Facebook and asked viewers to “look at the bias, hatred and rudeness on behalf of 60 Minutes and CBS.” As is the norm, the interview is scheduled to air on Sunday’s episode of “60 Minutes.” The episode will also feature an interview with presidential candidate Joseph R. Biden.
Prior to the 60 Minutes interview, Ms. Stahl had interviewed Mr. Trump twice before since he became the President. Trump’s actions left Stahl taken aback and is seen and heard asking the Vice President Mike Pence, “So what just happened with the president?”
CBS’s response to the released interview video was that the move was “unprecedented” and a breach of CBS’ agreement with the White House. They went on to say that the move “will not deter ‘60 Minutes’ from providing its full, fair and contextual reporting, which presidents have participated in for decades.” They further added that the White House’s recording of the interview had been intended “for archival purposes only.”
Lesley Stahl with COVID-19
On a May 3, 2020 episode of 60 Minutes, Stahl revealed that she had had COVID-19 and had been hospitalized. She has since recovered and is working.