A former CNN star who received praise for his real-time reporting on the September 11, 2001, attacks has died, his family has confirmed.
Aaron Brown passed away Sunday aged 76, his wife said – not revealing the cause of death.
Before CNN, Brown worked as an anchor and reporter for ABC News, staying at the station throughout the 90s.
In 2001, the Minnesota-born newsman who began his career in Seattle went to work for CNN, paving the way for a memorable first broadcast – albeit an unscheduled one.
Filmed from the roof of CNN’s Manhattan office as smoke billowed in the background, the segment earned Brown the Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding journalism, after he seized the moment and reported on the event for 17 straight hours.
His career launched from there, covering other events like the War on Terrorism, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He earned an Emmy for his reporting from the streets of the country during the subsequent conflict.
Then, in September 2004, after four years, CNN suddenly announced Brown would be leaving the network – a surprise to some, as many had been swayed by the man’s dogged reporting style, made famous by his memorable 9/11 broadcast.
In 2008, he returned to television after being freed up from his CNN contract as the host of PBS’s Wide Angle, before leaving the limelight for good in the following year. Up until 2014, he had taught journalism at Arizona State University.
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Aaron Brown, a former CNN anchor who received praise for his real-time reporting on the September 11, 2001, attacks (seen here), died Sunday, his family said
Brown is seen in one of the network’s New York studios the following month, after securing the trust of the public with the momentous, 17-hour broadcast – his first on the network. A cause of death was not immediately provided
Tributes were quick to come in for the late star.
‘It was remarkable when we received a compliment from him,’ David Fitzpatrick, a producer who worked with him on the ground during his coverage of the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, told his old employer CNN.
‘He was a signature anchor during his prime time,’ he continued. ‘His legacy will mean concise writing, concise presentation, and a calm demeanor in the face of crisis. Impactful, insightful, and measured.’
Another of Brown’s old producers, Molly Levinson, told ABC News: ‘Aaron was a quintessential newsman to his core – so many people around the world remember his unflinching coverage on September 11… And in many ways, the events that followed.’
She, like others, proceeded to provide a rundown of the anchor’s memorable, no-nonsense reporting style.
‘On air he gave simple, understandable – even elegant – analysis and reporting,’ the former CNN staffer, who today is the founder and CEO of prominent public relations firm TLG, said.
‘Behind the scenes as a boss and a mentor, he accepted nothing less than excellence, and he gave nothing less than endless loyalty in return.
‘There’s no one like him and he will be deeply missed.’
Before CNN, Brown – seen here covering Hurricane Katrina on the network’s NewsNight – worked as an anchor and reporter for ABC News, staying at the station throughout the 90s
After the 9/11 broadcast – his first with the network – Brown covered a wide variety of other historic events in real time, including the War on Terrorism, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He is seen here covering the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia
In September 2004, after four years, CNN suddenly announced Brown would be leaving the network, while he was still under contract. A reason was not given, though many attributed it to being replaced by current primetime juggernaut Anderson Cooper
Levinson worked with Brown for four years, right up until his unexpected ouster.
A reason for the split was never given, though many at the time attributed it to the then experimental implementation of eventual primetime juggernaut Anderson Cooper into the network’s late-night lineup.
The New York Times reported at the time that then CNN president Jonathan Klien said the departure was the result of a mutual agreement, and that a recent reshuffle left no room for Brown’s show.
As part of the change, Cooper’s program, still-running Anderson Cooper 360, moved into Brown’s old 10pm timeslot.
Today, Cooper, 57, is a fixture at the news station, after experiencing a mid-career, meteoric rise much like Brown’s.
Cooper, in turn, described Brown ‘a great writer and broadcaster’, as he too offered a tribute as news of his old coworkers death became public.
‘Thoughtful, funny, and diligent,’ Cooper, who started at CNN in 2003, said in a statement sent via CNN Sunday. ‘He had a truly unique talent and a beautiful way with words.’
‘When he was live on air, he just stopped and looked at it, and paused,’ added fellow CNN staffer John Vause, who witnessed Brown’s iconic 9/11 work firsthand.
Cooper, in turn, described Brown ‘a great writer and broadcaster’, as he too offered a tribute as news of his old coworkers death became public
Brown, speaking about his 9/11 coverage upon retiring, said ‘It captures what television ought to capture – which is the totality of a story – and that one did it all: The strength of the country, the beauty of the day, and the horror of the moment’
Brooks briefly worked at PBS after being freed from his CNN contract in 2008, before walking away from broadcasting in 2009. He continued to teach journalism at the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism until 2014. He won three Emmys
‘And he shared this moment that everybody was thinking.’
Much of the same was seen on social media, including a tweet from Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter.
‘He was one of the greatest anchors in CNN history,’ Stelter said of Brown.
‘”NewsNight,” circa 2001 to 2005, was all Aaron: from his thoughtful writing and rigorous questioning, to “the whip” around the world with correspondents, to his trademark preview of the morning papers.’
Brown, meanwhile, spoke on his own accomplishments as a newsman after his career came to a close, back in 2009.
‘It captures what television ought to capture – which is the totality of a story – and that one did it all,’ he said of the September 11 coverage.
‘The strength of the country, the beauty of the day, and the horror of the moment.’
