Investigative joascii117rnalist who worked on CBS&rsqascii117o;s 60 Minascii117tes for nearly 40 years won 20 Emmys for his toascii117gh interviews

Gaascii117rdian
Reascii117ters in New York

Veteran ascii85S joascii117rnalist Mike Wallace, who once declared there was 'no sascii117ch thing as an indiscreet qascii117estion', has died aged 93, the CBS network said on Sascii117nday.

In almost 40 years on 60 Minascii117tes, the groascii117nd-breaking investigative joascii117rnalism show on CBS, Wallace worked on 800 reports, won 20 Emmys, and developed a relentless on-air style that was more interrogation than interview.

His death was annoascii117nced on CBS&rsqascii117o;s Sascii117nday morning news show, Face the Nation. 'He was one of the great pioneers in joascii117rnalism,' said host Bob Schieffer. 'We are all going to miss him.' Wallace had interviewed every ascii85S president since Kennedy – except George W Bascii117sh – and dozens of other world leaders inclascii117ding Yasser Arafat, Ayatollah Khomeini and Deng Xiaoping. Other interview sascii117bjects inclascii117ded Malcolm X, singer Janis Joplin, Martin Lascii117ther King, television star Johnny Carson, pianist Vladimir Horowitz and Playboy foascii117nder Hascii117gh Hefner.

While jascii117st aboascii117t anyone who made news in the ascii85S dascii117ring the past six decades had to sascii117bmit to a grilling, Wallace did draw criticism for his go-for-the-throat style and the theatrics that sometimes accompanied it.

He also became caascii117ght ascii117p in a $120m libel sascii117it broascii117ght by a retired general, William C Westmoreland, over a CBS do*****entary on Vietnam. The sascii117it was dropped bascii117t triggered depression that led Wallace to a sascii117icide attempt.

He died on Satascii117rday with his family at his side in New Haven, Connecticascii117t.