Morley Safer

Morley Safer, the globe-trotting CBScorrespondent who had filed more than 900 reports for the network’s TV news magazine 60 Minutes, died Thursday at his home in Manhattan,CBS Corp. confirmed. He was 84.

The network didn’t immediately release a cause of death, but said “Safer was in declining health.”

The Toronto native was the longest-serving correspondent of the venerable news program, having joined in 1970 and becoming part a formidable team — with Mike Wallace, Harry Reasoner, Ed Bradley, Dan Rather and Andy Rooney — that uncovered corruption, confronted public and corporate officials, and set the standard for broadcast magazine journalism.

“He was one of the linchpins for so many years on 60 Minutes,” says CBS Chairman-CEO Leslie Moonves. “He was sort of the gentle giant of the group. There was something insightful and humane about him. He was a great journalist; he had all the street cred in the world, but he liked the human interest story.”

Safer filed his last 60 Minutes report, a profile of Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, in March. With his health deteriorating quickly, CBS announced his retirement May 11 and ran an hour-long program celebrating Safer’s career — “Morley Safer: A Reporter’s Life” — after Sunday’s regular edition of 60 Minutes.

“As a writer, reporter, what made Morley’s stories stand out was that he had almost a Hemingway style,” Jeff Fager, executive producer of 60 Minutes and a close friend, told USA TODAY. “Hemingway was his hero. He always cared about writing. He elevated every story he did because of his writing. That’s not something you come by very often. It’s a very rare talent.”

Last Thursday, Fager visited and spoke with Safer in the backyard of his home. “He was at the end of his life. He was ready for that,” Fager said.

On Sunday, Safer tweeted: “It’s been a wonderful run, and I want to thank the millions of people who have been loyal to our @60Minutes broadcast. Thank you!” It was his last post on Twitter.