Aaron Brown, a famous television news anchor known for his coverage of the September 11, 2001, attacks during his tenure at CNN, has died. According to a family statement reported by CNN, Brown died on Sunday at the age of 76. The cause of death was not revealed.
Brown’s journey in broadcasting began in Minneapolis as a radio talk show host. He transitioned to television in Seattle before becoming the inaugural host of ABC’s “World Information Now.” His duties expanded to include hosting “ABC’s World Information Tonight Saturday” and reporting for several ABC news programs, including “World Information Tonight with Peter Jennings” and “Nightline.”
His most significant impact came at CNN, particularly during an unexpected early start. On September 11, 2001, Brown prematurely began his career at CNN, providing live coverage from a Manhattan rooftop during the attacks. When the second tower collapsed, he expressed the collective shock with the words: “My God… there are no words.”
His coverage of 9/11 earned him the Edward R Murrow Award. Throughout his career, he also received three Emmy Awards among other recognitions.
Brown’s distinctive CNN late-night show, “NewsNight,” attracted viewers who appreciated his commentary and “The Whip,” a concise summary of international news. However, her ratings declined against Fox Information’s Greta Van Susteren.
In November 2005, Brown left CNN during a reorganization in which Anderson Cooper took over his schedule.
Reflecting on his experience at CNN in 2008, Brown acknowledged the difficulty of balancing serious journalism with the pressure of ratings. “I don’t want to get into the business of blaming cable TV, but some of what happened was just television, not journalism,” he told The Related Press.
“I didn’t practice ‘high church’ journalism all the time, but I think I had a certain sense that I was uncomfortable in that other sensational world, and I think viewers knew that and I couldn’t pull it off. ” stated Brown in that 2008 interview.
After CNN, Brown worked at Arizona State University as the inaugural Walter Cronkite Professor of Journalism. He returned to television in 2008 with PBS’s “Huge Angle,” a weekly current affairs program.
His wife, Charlotte Raynor, said: “Aaron was able to do the work he loved and felt lucky to do it as part of a community of people dedicated to good journalism and who became good friends.”
He added that despite their different work schedules, “he always found a way to make common and special moments with our daughter Gabby and me.”
