RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
And in a week of scandal in the TV news business, last night brought a sad announcement from CBS news anchor Scott Pelley.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "60 MINUTES")
SCOTT PELLEY: Our "60 Minutes" colleague Bob Simon was killed this evening. It was a car accident in New York City.
MONTAGNE: A longtime correspondent for CBS, Simon was on the air just last Sunday reporting on the making of the movie, "Selma."
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BOB SIMON: Selma, Ala., and Hollywood, Cal., are many worlds apart. One is the dream factory of America, the other, a small southern town where 50 years ago, history was written in blood.
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
Simon joined CBS News in 1967. He covered unrest during the civil rights era. He also covered wars in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. During the 1991 invasion of Iraq, Simon was taken captive by Saddam Hussein's army for 40 days. Two months later, he returned to report from Iraq again.
MONTAGNE: Here is Bob Simon reflecting on his career at a 2010 Emmy awards ceremony.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SIMON: What's problematic about becoming a veteran correspondent is that you're always tempted to give advice. I try not to, but here goes. There are not two sides to every story. There were not two sides to the stories in Sarajevo or Rwanda. Whenever someone calls you by your first name when you're interviewing them, chances are - as in, let me tell you what really happened, Morley - chances are he's lying. Honest subjects addressed him as Mr. Safer. If you want to make sure you're not being lied to, do what I've done over the last two and half years, do animal stories.
(LAUGHTER)
MONTAGNE: "60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon was 73 years old when he died in New York. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.