Aaron Brown, a famous television news anchor known for his coverage of the September 11, 2001, attacks during his tenure at CNN, has passed away. According to a family statement reported by CNN, Brown died on Sunday at the age of 76. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Brown’s broadcasting journey began in Minneapolis as a radio talk show host. He transitioned to television in Seattle before becoming the inaugural anchor of ABC’s “World News Now.” His roles expanded to include anchoring “ABC’s World News Tonight Saturday” and reporting for various ABC news programmes, including “World News Tonight with Peter Jennings” and “Nightline.”
His most significant impact came at CNN, particularly during an unexpected early start.On September 11, 2001, Brown commenced his CNN career prematurely, providing live coverage from a Manhattan rooftop during the attacks. When the second tower collapsed, he expressed the collective shock with the words, “Good lord… there are no words.”
His September 11 coverage earned him the Edward R Murrow Award. Throughout his career, he also received three Emmy awards among other accolades.
Brown’s distinctive late-night CNN programme “NewsNight” attracted viewers who appreciated his commentary and “The Whip,” a concise international news roundup. However, his ratings declined against Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren.
In November 2005, Brown left CNN during a reorganisation that saw Anderson Cooper take his time slot.
Reflecting on his CNN experience in 2008, Brown acknowledged the difficulty of balancing serious journalism with ratings pressure. “I don’t want to get into the business of indicting cable TV, but some of what went on was just television, not journalism,” he told The Associated Press.
“I didn’t practice the ‘high church’ of journalism all the time, but I think there was some sense that I was uncomfortable in that other, tabloidy world, and I think viewers knew that and I couldn’t pull it off,” Brown stated in that 2008 interview.
Post-CNN, Brown served at Arizona State University as the inaugural Walter Cronkite professor of journalism. He returned to television in 2008 with PBS’ “Wide Angle,” a weekly current affairs programme.
His wife, Charlotte Raynor, said, “Aaron got to do the work that he loved – and he felt lucky to do that work as part of a community of people who were dedicated to good journalism and who became good friends.”
She added that despite his varying work schedules, “he always found a way to make both ordinary and special times with our daughter Gabby and me.”
