Joseph Wershba was a professional journalist that was one of the first few television journalists and joined
CBS News in 1944, when the war was slowly nearing to a halt but television was still in its experimental phase. His first job at
CBS News included writing, editing footage and corresponding. He was the producer of
CBS's "60 Minutes" news program for twenty years. His colleagues include big names such as Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite. He was a close associate to Edward R. Murrow, and worked together with the famous journalist on shows like Hear It Now and See It Now.
Joseph Wershba was born on the 19th of August 1920 in New York City. He is married to Shirley Wershba since April 10th 1948 and they have two children. He graduated Brooklyn College in 1941, and joined
CBS News 3 years later; his early work included working in CBS's radio. Besides that, little is known about the beginnings of his career. It is however known that Wershba worked closely with Dan Rather in 1951's See It Now, and was among those people who recognized Senator McCarthy's Red Scare as utterly false. Wershba's work as a producer, although not clearly visible like Rather's reports on McCarthy, was quite important to shape the public decision and eventually lead to censure of Senator McCarthy in 1954. His career peak was in 1968 when he was made the producer of CBS's famous 60 Minutes.
Wershba's perhaps biggest achievement, though unfulfilled, was being nominated for Pulitzer Prize for his story on Lee Harvey Oswald, the person who allegedly shot John Fitzgerald Kennedy in 1963. Other awards include the Silurian Award for his lifetime journalism and producing achievements. He has also received at least two Emmys (although disregards them, saying that "everyone receives at least one during their career."), The Hillman Award and the American Bar Association award. Joseph was also a fighter for women's rights and was among the developers of the show Women's World, the first show that focused on issues of women.
Now Wershba is mainly just a classic news figure of the 50s. Joseph is often referenced in the media--and sometimes in films, too. For example, Joseph is pictured by Robert Downey Jr. in the 2005 film "Good Night, and Good Luck", a movie that focuses on Edward R. Murrow's attempts to bring down Joseph McCarthy, and the overall media and White House intrigues at the time. The film is highly autobiographical and pictures the highly secretive relationship of Joseph and Shirley Wershba, because the couple would probably be fired from
CBS if somebody found out about their affair. He currently spends his days in New Hyde Park, New York; Wershba is one of the few people that were there when history was made; he'll certainly remain a prominent director in the history of American television, not just for his work with the big Cronkite and Murrow.
