Aaron Brown, the distinguished CNN anchor celebrated for his continuous rooftop reporting of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, passed away on December 29, 2024, in Washington, D.C., at the age of 76. The cause of death was pneumonia, as confirmed by his family through CNN.
Brown reported live during the fall of the World Trade Center’s South Tower, and his words became part of broadcast history. Despite not being scheduled to work that day, Brown hurried to the rooftop of CNN’s Manhattan office and stayed on air for 17 straight hours.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1948, Brown’s rise to national acclaim started as a radio talk show host in Minneapolis and Los Angeles. He began his television career at Seattle’s KING 5 in 1976 as an assistant night assignment editor and later as an anchor at KIRO 7 in 1986. He dedicated a decade to honing his reputation for thoughtful, balanced reporting.
ABC News acknowledged his skills in 1991 and named him the inaugural anchor of “World News Now,” their groundbreaking overnight news program. He later anchored the weekend editions of “World News Tonight” before being recruited by CNN in 2001.
During his tenure at CNN from 2001 to 2005, Brown was the anchor of “NewsNight,” acclaimed for his narrative style of delivering news and ability to address complex stories with sensitivity. His 9/11 coverage won him the Edward R. Murrow Award. However, he stayed modest about his achievements. In a 2016 interview, he admitted, “It’s the only time I thought, ‘Maybe you just don’t have what it takes to do a story like this.’ Because it just had never occurred to me.”
After leaving CNN in 2005, Brown became the Rhodes Chair in Public Policy and American Institutions at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Between 2007 and 2014, he mentored future journalists, underlining the importance of storytelling and ethical reporting. He hosted PBS’s “Wide Angle” from 2008 to 2009, presenting international news to American viewers.
A former CNN producer, Jon Auerbach, commended Brown for putting writing and craftsmanship above all else. Auerbach also highlighted that Brown was ahead of his time balancing work and personal life. Even with the demanding schedule of a nightly news program, Brown always found time for his family and hobbies such as golf.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper remembered Brown as “thoughtful, funny, and diligent,” praising his unique talent and eloquent use of language. Over his career, Brown won three Emmy Awards and shaped a generation of broadcast journalists with his unique narrative style.
He is survived by his wife, Charlotte Raynor, his daughter, two grandchildren, a brother, and a sister. His legacy lives on through his historic 9/11 coverage and his impactful contributions to broadcast journalism as a mentor to many aspiring journalists.