Colleagues, friends react to Mike Wallace’s death

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“Mike’s energy and nerve paced everyone at “60 Minutes.” His was the defining spirit of the show. He bounded through the halls with joy at the prospect of the new, the true, the unexpected.” _ “ABC World News” anchor Diane Sawyer, who worked at “60 Minutes” with Wallace.

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“Mike Wallace was from the beginning and for many years, the heart and soul of `60 Minutes.’ In that role he helped change American television news. Among the ways that this change was for the better: TV news became more investigative, more aggressive and relevant. Mike was sharp and quick of mind, a fierce competitor and a master interviewer.” _ former “CBS Evening News” anchor Dan Rather.

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“We named our book `Heat and Light’ because that’s what Mike was all about _ heat meaning drama and light meaning new and useful information.” _ Beth Knobel, a Fordham University professor and former CBS News colleague of Wallace’s who co-wrote with him the 2010 book “Heat and Light: Advice For the Next Generation of Journalists.”

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