Aaron Brown, CNN Anchor Who Covered the 9/11 Attacks, Passes Away at 76
Aaron Brown in 2001 (Erik S. Lesser / Getty Images)
Aaron Brown, the esteemed CNN anchor whose coverage of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks became an iconic part of the day’s broadcast history, died on Sunday in Washington, D.C. He was 76 years old, the New York Tmes reports.
His family confirmed his passing, though they did not provide a cause of death.
Brown’s career with CNN began just a few months before the attacks. He joined the network in June 2001 and was still in training when the tragic events unfolded. Although he wasn’t scheduled to appear on air for several more weeks, Brown was quickly thrust into live coverage from CNN’s Manhattan headquarters after the first plane struck the World Trade Center.
His broadcasts, filled with a mix of clear reporting and emotional reactions, became some of the most enduring records of that fateful day. One of the most memorable moments came when Brown, watching the collapse of the South Tower, uttered:
“Good lord… there are no words.”
His on-air work that day earned him widespread praise and recognition, including an Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in broadcast journalism.
Despite the accolades, Brown was often conflicted about his role in reporting such a devastating event. In a 2011 interview with NPR, he expressed his discomfort with the notion that his work had any significant impact.
“Sometimes I’m a little embarrassed, I suppose, at this notion that anything I did mattered,” he said. “I think I just told a story.”
Born in Minneapolis on November 10, 1948, Aaron Brown’s early career in broadcasting began in radio before transitioning to television in Seattle. Over 15 years, he gained prominence as a news anchor, eventually moving to New York in 1991 to join ABC News. There, he became a founding anchor for the network’s overnight program, “World News Now,” before joining CNN.
Brown’s wife, Charlotte Raynor, remembered him fondly, stating that he “got to do the work that he loved” and was grateful to work in a community of journalists who became close friends. In addition to the Murrow Award, Brown was the recipient of three Emmy Awards, further cementing his legacy as a respected journalist.
Known for his calm and fact-based reporting style, Brown was often compared to iconic anchors like Peter Jennings. John Vause, a CNN anchor and correspondent, recalled that working with Brown during live broadcasts on September 11 felt like “doing your midterm finals,” as he set high standards for those around him.
In 2005, Brown left CNN after 14 years with the network, citing the shift away from fact-based news programming toward talk shows and analysis. Reflecting on the later years of his career, he expressed dissatisfaction with being assigned to anchor coverage of the high-profile murder trial of actor Robert Blake, calling it “totally ridiculous.”
After departing CNN, Brown took on a new role as the inaugural Walter Cronkite Professor of Journalism at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, a position he held until 2014.
He is survived by his wife, daughter Gabby Brown, and two grandchildren.
