Longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Morley Safer died yesterday at age 84. Safer last week announced his retirement after 46 years on the newsmagazine, noting: “After more than 50 years of broadcasting on CBS News and 60 Minutes I have decided to retire. It’s been a wonderful run, but the time has come to say goodbye to all of my friends at CBS and the dozens of people who kept me on the air. Most of all I thank the millions of people who have been loyal to our broadcast.” CBS ran a career tribute to Safer last Sunday. “Morley was one of the most important journalists in any medium, ever,” said CBS chairman/CEO Leslie Moonves. “He broke ground in war reporting and made a name that will forever be synonymous with 60 Minutes. He was also a gentleman, a scholar, a great raconteur – all of those things and much more to generations of colleagues, his legion of friends, and his family, to whom all of us at CBS offer our sincerest condolences over the loss of one of CBS’ and journalism’s greatest treasures.” Noted, Jeff Fager, exec producer of 60 Minutes and a close friend of Safer’s, “Morley was a fixture, one of our pillars, and an inspiration in many ways. He was a master storyteller, a gentleman and a wonderful friend. We will miss him very much.”