Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis

Episode: We’ll Do It Live! — Steve Kroft (April 2, 2026)

Guest: Steve Kroft, former “60 Minutes” correspondent
Host: Bill O’Reilly

Episode Overview

Bill O’Reilly hosts a candid conversation with legendary CBS journalist Steve Kroft. The duo reflects on the evolution of television news, the decline of legacy network journalism, experiences at “60 Minutes,” the inside culture of TV news, and Kroft’s perspectives from reporting on Vietnam, nuclear issues, and major political figures. The tone is unfiltered, collegial, and introspective as both seasoned journalists trade war stories and debate media bias, the changing craft of reporting, and the cutthroat culture of American TV news.

The State of TV News: Then and Now

Media Fragmentation & Institutional Decline

• Kroft attributes the fall of CBS and other major networks largely to technology and changing viewer habits:

  "Algorithms? That’s my short answer... Everything has gotten more complicated ... cable TV started eroding the audience of the three major networks... people that own the networks decided to write it off." [00:50–01:30]

• O’Reilly adds the legacy of iconic newsmen and their absence today:

  “You had Hewitt and you had Safer and you had Wallace, and you had all of these pros... And now... it’s like a sports team that once had all these superstars and now they’re in eighth place.” [02:08–02:28]

Loss of Minor Leagues & Experiential Depth

• Kroft emphasizes the unique pedigree of the old “60 Minutes” correspondents:

  “All the people you mentioned, we all had successful careers before we got to 60 Minutes... overseas, Washington, covering the White House... There was a level of experience that doesn’t really exist now.” [02:32–03:32]

• On newsroom culture:
  Kroft and O’Reilly describe “60 Minutes” as “savages” (in a positive sense):

  “It was hand-to-hand combat to get your stuff on air without it being edited.” — O’Reilly [04:39]

Media Bias: Perception, Reality, and Cultural Geography

• O’Reilly contends CBS drifted left after Cronkite, following Dan Rather’s influence:

  “CBS was the leader... they’ve all gone fairly left. Would I be wrong?” [05:08]

• Kroft sees bias as less deliberate political maneuvering and more rooted in culture:

  “I always thought [it] had to do with geography... so many people in the media... East Coast... Ivy League... a built-in bias as opposed to a political bias.” [05:41–06:12] “People used to say 60 minutes was so liberal... I never really thought of it as being liberal... Mike Wallace and Don Hewitt were both Republicans.” [06:12]

• Discussion on Trump-era coverage:

  • O’Reilly: “Scott Pelley... hates Trump. Leslie Stahl, appalled by him. Isn’t it our obligation to pull that back?” [07:37]
  • Kroft: “I think some of it, Bill, is perception... I think Leslie can be tough on anybody.” [07:57]

The Rise of Cable and Audience Catered News

• Cable’s effect on objectivity:

  “That’s why cable news succeeds, because they preach to the choir ... absolutely hurt the repertorial business.” — O’Reilly [08:48–09:05]

Steve Kroft’s Vietnam Experience & Lessons

• Kroft’s service:

  “Took up five years of my life ... I got drafted in 1968.” [09:31] “You don’t get a Bronze Star unless you’re involved in combat theater. One for service and one for meritorious achievement.” [09:17]

• On the meaning and legacy of Vietnam:

  “Only the learning experience [was worthy] ... It was a negative for America. But instructive... you can’t just send American boys off to die without having the country behind you.” [10:37–11:01] “We [the US] were noble only... because they [Vietnamese] have much more respect for Americans than for the French.” [12:01–12:16]

• Parallels with modern division:

  “Tore society apart. And I think we are as divided now as we were divided in Vietnam.” — O’Reilly [12:41]

Presidential Coverage: Obama, Trump, and Clinton

On Objectivity and Fairness

• Kroft on covering Trump:

  “Well, I would be. I’m trying to be skeptical of everybody.” [13:38] “Fairness is a strange word ... I feel like we’re in federal receivership... trustees are Trump, Ellison and Barry Weiss. They have said they need to be fairer to him.” [13:47–14:28]

• O’Reilly on Obama interviews:

  “You interviewed Obama 17 times. Why did he like you?” [14:56]

  • Kroft: “60 Minutes could deliver almost 20 million people... because I did the first story on him ... I think he did trust me. He knew I was not gonna cheap-shot him.” [15:02–15:26]

• On interviewing presidents:

  “The presidential interview is the hardest interview you’re ever going to do... you have to respect the office even if you don’t like the guy.” — O’Reilly [17:42–18:01]

  • Kroft: “I remember the Brokaw interviews and the Cronkite interviews. They were very respectful. Someplace along the line ... it became ‘get the guest’.” [18:01]

• O’Reilly: “Unlike Trump, Obama was a realist and he was a consensus seeker. Would I be correct there?”

  • Kroft: “Yeah. I don’t think nearly as liberal as people point him out.” [17:28–17:39]

Clinton’s 60 Minutes Interview

• Kroft on the Clintons’ infamous post-Gennifer Flowers interview:
  • “It was the first time a tabloid story had ever crossed over to the networks... freaked out the Democrats.” [22:25]
  • “They called back and said, we’d like to have Hillary on ... she was considered to be a real asset for his campaign ... went a long way towards inoculating the damage.” [25:40–26:19]
  • “The first question I’m gonna ask him: tell me, who is Jennifer Flowers and how do you know her?” [28:11–28:19]
  • “After you did the interview, what was their reaction?”
    • Kroft: “Hillary did not like it ... went on the air and said Steve Kroft was so nice during the questions... then he came back and asked all these mean questions... But it wasn’t true.” [27:25–27:40]

TV Newsroom Culture: A Snake Pit

• Hostility and paranoia at CBS:

  • “If people seem really friendly, you need to check your wallet.” — Kroft [33:39]
  • “It’s just ... it’s a snake pit.” [35:08–35:10]

• Competitiveness:

  • “The worst one is your buddy Mike.” — O’Reilly [33:50]
  • “Because everybody knows ... someone is behind them, going to put a shiv in their back.... for competitive reasons ... jealousy.” — Kroft [34:11–34:29]

• Would Kroft do it again?

  • “No, I probably wouldn’t do it again. I hated it.” [35:21–35:25]
  • “Best job I ever had was at the London bureau … 60 Minutes was really appealing, but ... the job is just 24 hours a day.” [35:25–36:55]
  • “You get excited because you’re still alive and you do a good story ... millions of people see it. But at the same time, you’re dodging the shivs.” [37:00–37:11]

Media Bias Redux: Bernie Goldberg & Fox

• Bernie Goldberg’s “Bias”:

  • O’Reilly: “Did you subscribe to what he was saying? That the CBS apparatus had moved so far left?” [37:48]
  • Kroft: “I don’t think I did... people create a brand. Bernie’s brand had always been a little bit on the conservative side ... but he was so good.” [37:59–38:56]

• O’Reilly on Fox:

  “My numbers were so staggering ... I had made so much money for them, they didn’t say word to me.” [20:17]
  “It was a totally unique experience because of the economic power that I brought in.” [20:55]

• Kroft credits Roger Ailes for harnessing conservative audiences:

  “I think Ailes was a genius... there was no conservative voice at all [on TV].” [21:35–21:51]

The Chernobyl Assignment

• On Soviet openness and PR:

  “They let a couple of print reporters in and that’s when I saw the opening ... I think they wanted to demonstrate they were doing everything they could... made some really big screw-ups at the beginning.” [32:46–33:10] “I never considered it part of a PR campaign... there was too much stuff they could never turn to their advantage.” [33:14]

Legacy, Regrets, and Lasting Reflections

• On legacy:

  • O’Reilly: “You got to be in the top 10 TV journalists of all time ... Does that mean anything to you?” [43:14–43:22]
  • Kroft: “Yeah, it’s satisfaction... I got into this business and got pretty much to the top ranks... I was very proud of all the work I did.” [43:22–43:39]

• Would he choose this career again?

  • “Well, I’m saved by the fact that it doesn’t really exist anymore, that job, yin and yang.... I got to go all over the world.... That’s what I wanted when I decided I wanted to be a reporter – and it came in Vietnam.” [43:44–44:43]

Memorable Quotes & Anecdotes

• On “60 Minutes” internal culture:

  “If there was civility, you better check your wallet.” — Kroft [04:33] “There’s some big cats over there. Take one swat with the paw ... you’ll be limping for six months.” — Dan Rather (as relayed by Kroft) [03:58–04:29]

• On Andy Rooney:

  “First day I was hired at CBS 57th Street ... I’m in the elevator, I’m 6’4”, guy walks in, he’s 5’5”. He looks up at me, ‘You’ll never make it, kid.’ Andy Rooney.” — O’Reilly [42:02–42:18]

• On political honesty:

  “All politicians lie.” — Kroft, quoting I.F. Stone [30:35]

Notable Timestamps

• [00:50] Kroft: The decline of network news—algorithms and tech
• [04:39] O’Reilly: “Hand to hand combat” at 60 Minutes
• [06:12] Kroft: “Don [Hewitt] and Mike Wallace were both Republicans”
• [08:45] Conservatives “don’t necessarily like the middle”
• [09:05] Kroft on winning a Bronze Star in Vietnam
• [13:38] Kroft: Skepticism and fairness in covering Trump
• [14:56] O’Reilly asks why Obama liked Kroft
• [18:01] Kroft on respectful vs. adversarial presidential interviews
• [22:25] Kroft on securing the Clinton interview
• [28:19] Kroft’s “Who is Jennifer Flowers?” moment
• [33:39] Kroft: “Check your wallet” in friendly newsrooms
• [35:21] Kroft: “Wouldn’t do it again”
• [43:14] O’Reilly credits Kroft as “top 10 TV journalist”

In Summary

This episode delivers a rare, unvarnished look at both the heyday and transformation of investigative TV journalism. Kroft and O’Reilly’s rapport enables a frank discussion of what’s been lost—rigorous training, moral complexity, and the camaraderie (and combat) among the greats. Through media analysis and rich personal anecdote, they dissect not just industry bias but the consequences of a fragmented media landscape, competitive paranoia, and the disappearance of meaningful mentorship. Kroft’s honest reflections—on Vietnam, the Clinton scandal, and his own regrets—ground the episode in lived experience, making this essential listening for anyone curious about the inside game of TV news.