60 Minutes went live in 1968.
The New York Times has called it "one of the most esteemed news magazines on American television."
60 Minutes has been on television for 55 seasons with over 2,500 episodes produced.
60 Minutes is the most-watched news program in American history.
Using Life Magazine as inspiration, the creators saw how the print editors organized their content from hard to soft while flipping through the magazine.
Life Magazine had a history of starting with a public policy story, adding a science and innovation piece, and following that with a report on a leading personality or cultural happening.
What a great mix of stories.
What a great mix of stories to copy and create a news magazine television show.
60 Minutes starts with hard news first.
The second bit of news is about research, science, or innovation.
Finally, the third piece is usually a profile.
Same formula as Life Magazine.
Hard to soft.
I embrace a similar format when I assemble ITK Daily.
Geopolitics and statecraft.
American politics.
Innovation and disruption.
Culture.
And finally, sports.
Hard to soft.
60 Minutes has kept its reporting formula the same for 55 years.
This is smart.
The audience knows what to expect, and the team creating 60 Minutes knows what to expect.
When curating a newsletter, two things are essential for long-term success and long-term production.
One, reduce the topics you plan to curate to only a handful.
For me, it is only five.
Sure, there could be twenty-five other compelling topics, but just like 60 Minutes, I care about a bare minimum.
Second, the topics are buckets that I will fill with compelling articles, news reports, or commentaries.
Just like 60 Minutes, the audience for my newsletter knows what to expect, and as I assemble the newsletter, I know what to expect for my work output.
A successful newsletter happens when you embrace strategy and a system.
A successful newsletter happens when you say no to a lot and yes to an elite few.
If you need help organizing your newsletter strategically and systematically, Caracal is here to help.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
