Great Moments in the History of Journalism

Two days ago, Newt Gingrich got a little emotional on the campaign trail. The L.A. Times explains:

With his presidential campaign drifting out of contention, Newt Gingrich veered from his typically brash, boastful personality on the campaign trail Friday, choking up in front of a group of moms when he recalled his mother, Kit, who died in 2003. ...

At the end of her life, Gingrich said, his mother lived in a long-term care facility, which helped him understand and become interested in brain science. ...

"She had bipolar disease and depression, and she gradually acquired some physical ailments, and that introduced me to the whole issue of quality long-term care … and that introduced me to the issue of Alzheimer's," said Gingrich, who chatted with the founder of a popular website for mothers at Java Joe's coffeehouse here.

"My emphasis on brain science comes indirectly from dealing with — " he said, and then his voice broke and his eyes welled with tears. "See, I am getting very emotional — but dealing with the real problems of real people in my family. And so it's not a theory; it's in fact my mother."

This calls to mind one of the more exploitative moments in television journalism - when 60 Minutes put Newt's mom on TV:

I always found Connie Chung's "just between you and me" to be bothersome. After hearing about the mental ailments the woman was facing, it strikes me as pernicious.

Great job, CBS!