R.I.P.: Aaron Brown, Former CNN, ABC News Anchor

Aaron Brown (1948-2024)

Aaron Brown, the renowned CNN anchor who gained prominence for his coverage of the September 11 attacks and his role in shaping the network’s evening news format, died Sunday at the age of 76, his family said.

Brown’s career in journalism began in local television in Seattle before anchoring ABC’s overnight news program “World News Now.” He later joined CNN, where he became known for his incisive reporting. From 2001 to 2005, he anchored “NewsNight,” a program that combined breaking news with in-depth analysis, and earned acclaim for his ability to handle complex stories with sensitivity and insight.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper called Brown “a great writer and broadcaster.”

“Thoughtful, funny, and diligent, he had a truly unique talent and a beautiful way with words,” Cooper said.

Brown’s coverage from New York City of the 9/11 attacks, which marked his first day on air at CNN, established him as a trusted figure during one of the darkest moments in American history, according to CNN’s John Vause, who also reported from New York that day.

On 9/11, Brown began his broadcast earlier than scheduled, and, when the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, his calm demeanor and humanizing approach struck a chord with viewers, Vause said.

“When he was live on air, he just stopped and looked at it. And paused. And he shared this moment that everybody was thinking, ‘Good Lord, there are no words,’” Vause said.

“In the pre-talk era of broadcast journalism, Aaron was first and foremost a writer and a craftsman. That was one of his many skills that earned the respect of his colleagues across the media landscape,” said former CNN producer Jon Auerbach, who worked with Brown.

Following his departure from CNN, he served as the Rhodes Chair in Public Policy and American Institutions at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where his influence on broadcast journalism continued to resonate.