Aaron Brown (journalist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aaron Brown
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| Born | November 10, 1948 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
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| Died | December 29, 2024 (aged 76) Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Occupation | Broadcast journalist |
| Years active | 1976–2009 (in television) |
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Notable credit(s)
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| Spouse(s) |
Charlotte Raynor
(m. 1982) |
| Children | 1 |
Aaron Brown (born November 10, 1948 – died December 29, 2024) was an American journalist who worked on TV. He was well-known for his reporting during the September 11 attacks for CNN. He also worked for ABC, where he helped start World News Now. Later, he hosted NewsNight with Aaron Brown on CNN. From 2008 to 2009, he was the host of the PBS show Wide Angle. He also taught journalism at Arizona State University from 2007 to 2014.
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Aaron Brown's Journalism Career
Aaron Brown had a long career in television news. He worked for major news networks like ABC and CNN. He was known for his calm and thoughtful way of reporting the news.
Early Life and First Steps in News
Aaron Brown was born in Minneapolis on November 10, 1948. He was one of five children. He started his career in radio as a talk show host. Later, he moved into television.
He spent over 15 years working at TV stations in Seattle. He worked at KING-TV and then KIRO-TV. He started as an editor but quickly became a reporter and then an anchor. An anchor is a person who presents the news on TV.
Working at ABC News
In 1991, Aaron Brown moved to New York City. He became the first anchor for ABC's late-night news show, World News Now. He also worked as a reporter for other ABC news programs.
He reported for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. He also worked on Nightline. Brown became a fill-in anchor for Jennings. He also became the regular anchor for World News Tonight Saturday and Good Morning America Sunday.
Aaron Brown at CNN
Aaron Brown joined CNN on July 1, 2001. His first day on air was a very important one: September 11, 2001.
Reporting on September 11 Attacks
Aaron Brown became famous for his reporting on the September 11 attacks. He reported live from CNN's rooftop in Manhattan. He also reported from near the World Trade Center site in New York City. He won an award called the Edward R. Murrow Award for his work that day.
When the South Tower of the World Trade Center fell, Brown was on air. He was listening to a report from another attack site. He had to interrupt the reporter to describe what he saw. He said there was a huge explosion and the building was gone. As the second tower fell, he paused and quietly said, "...good Lord...there are no words..." He then continued reporting.
CNN wanted Brown to be a big star for their network. They made their main evening show NewsNight with Aaron Brown. Brown also hosted CNN Presents. He was the main anchor for breaking news and special events.
After September 11
After 9/11, Brown covered many other big news events for CNN. These included the War on Terrorism and the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Brown anchored from the CNN Center in Atlanta. He gave viewers the latest news from reporters on the front lines.
In 2005, CNN announced that Aaron Brown would leave the network. His show was replaced by Anderson Cooper 360°. Many people said they would miss Brown's smart and thoughtful style of news.
Public Broadcasting Work
After leaving CNN, Aaron Brown returned to TV in 2008. He became the host of PBS's Wide Angle. He anchored the series and reported from different places. The show ended in September 2009.
Teaching Journalism
In 2006, Aaron Brown started teaching. He taught at Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University. From 2007 to 2014, he taught a class about the history of TV news. He taught at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU.
Aaron Brown's Family Life
Aaron Brown met Charlotte Raynor, who was also a newscaster, in 1980. They got married in 1982. They had one daughter named Gabby, born in 1988. Aaron Brown passed away in Washington, D.C., on December 29, 2024, at 76 years old.
