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Jess

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September 11: ABC News coverage with Peter Jennings

 

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The past few days I have been watching ABC's coverage of September 11, surely the best coverage by far on the day. The late great Peter Jennings is clearly a class above, the best anchor in the world. What I've seen of NBC has Katie, Matt and Tom all talking over each other during the most tragic moments, while Gumbel and Rather stumble along far behind what their own pictures show on CBS.

 

It is incredible to see Peter handle the immense flow of information throughout the day with amazing skills of reportage, analysis and clarity. A powerful sense of authority and calm on the air, he also at times offers glimpses of the stresses and emotions brought about. Always refreshingly direct, he voices what he feels is missing from their converage, a sense of the human conditions on the ground at "Ground Zero" (as he is surely the first to describe it). A few times, you can see or hear in his voice the deep emotional feelings of the day.

 

The following links are from the incredible Internet Archive: September 11 Television Archive, where you can watch 3 days of live coverage from ABC, CNN, CBS, NBC, FOX and BBC. In preparing this post, I have tried to present the information in as sensitive as manner as possible.

 

ABC Sept. 11, 2001 9:54 am - 10:36 am (September 11, 2001)

Coverage of the the aftermath of the first attacks, the collapse of the World Trade Center towers.

 

ABC Sept. 11, 2001 12:41 pm - 1:23 pm (September 11, 2001)

An incredible report from ABC's White House reporter Ann Compton with Peter Jennings. It is fascinating to see the personal respect between the two. Peter offers fascinating analysis about the implications of the President's movements around the country in the midst of the crisis.

 

ABC Sept. 11, 2001 4:09 pm - 4:51 pm (September 11, 2001)

In-studio interview with a freelance cameraman who went into Ground Zero shortly after the collapse of the buildings. This is the first significant video from inside Ground Zero seen on the air. As a reviewer on the site writes, "the pictures are incredible to this day to view, and must have been almost incomprehensible to see on network TV so shortly after the events took place". Also in this segment, Peter conducts an interview with a survivor from Tower 1.

 

ABC Sept. 11, 2001 9:43 pm - 10:25 pm (September 12, 2001)

When Gov. Pataki arrives at ABC News for his second interview with Peter in a few hours, Peter stands up and shakes his hand live on the air. Also in this segment, Barbara Walters joins Peter in studio.

 

ABC Sept. 11, 2001 11:48 pm - 0:30 am (September 12, 2001)

Fascinating wrap-up with Ann Compton on the day with the President. An astonishing, raw moment came after a piece Peter called In Search of Steve. Watch. In this segment, Peter conducts the first interview with Alice Hoglan. Again he shows a remarkable sense of compassion for his interviewee. During another midnight interview, he admonishes his studio director for, to use his own words earlier that day, the "verging on obscene" repeated showing of the World Trade Center attack.

 

ABC Sept. 12, 2001 8:57 am - 9:39 am (September 12, 2001)

Another desperately raw moment is when Charles Gibson is overcome emotionally simply by watching an interview. As Cynthia McFadden finishes talking to the fiance of a man missing from the Trade Center attack, Charlie implores Cynthia to "give her a hug" repeatedly. It is an exceedingly difficult moment as all are clearly, in their own way, deeply affected by the growing enormity of the tragedy.

 

In the afternoon, somewhere after John Miller takes the floor to provide some analysis, Peter returns and makes the statement he was most remembered for, as he describes calling his children: "We do not very often make recommendations for people's behavior from this chair, but as John Miller was talking, I checked in with my children, and it -- who were deeply stressed, as I think young people are across the United States. So, if you're a parent, you've got a kid -- in some other part of the country, call them up."

 

edit: It's also extremely impressive and a mark of his skill as a broadcaster that, as he ends his interview with Kevin Sutavee, Peter gives Kevin the floor and invites him to say whatever he would like to say. I found Peter often invited his interviewees to comment openly on the air: "Have I left anything out", he would ask sometimes. You can see the start of the interview here. 33 minutes into this segment, the leaders of the House and Senate sing God Bless America to display the nation's solidarity in the face of such tragedy. It is one of the moments where Peter's voice starts to crack.

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In relation to my post on the previous page concerning 9/11, I'd like to say I also found ABC's coverage by far the most gimmick-free and least hyped of the broadcasters that day.

 

Strangely, NBC and CBS felt the need to dress up their coverage with movie-like titles, colorful labels and scripted throws.

 

CBS, it seemed, couldn't wait to drag out their flashing green radar from the first Gulf War with accompanying booming drums and "Attack on America" titles just hours into the disaster.

 

ABC, on the other hand, was bare basics solid journalism. No stings, no drums, no blockbuster titles.

 

At 6:30, Peter appeared again and said they would simply try to bring together their most cogent reporting of the day. They struck the proper chord on such a tragic day.

 

ABC's only concession to "hype" was their brief, simple Special Report intro.

 

Local station WJLA-7 DC of course got to work on flashy titles almost immediately but, as is often the case at this austere and restrained affiliate, they were quite understated.

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Here's the KMOV Opening with Weather Segment from March 31st, 2008

 

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Video courtesy of BusbyFlock from YT

 

EDIT: The question still remains, what is the name of this theme? It sounds more like a production cut because all you here is one theme.

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ABC News coverage w/Peter Jennings, September 12, 2001

 

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September 12: The day after sees Peter at the anchor desk from 10:00AM through the day and evening once again.

 

Peter's phone call with the wife of a Cantor Fitzgerald employee missing from the Trade Center is a moving and raw piece of television. It's the first time the name of the ill-fated company enters the tragic discourse of the disaster. This is truly Peter not as anchor but as human being.

 

In the same segment and earlier, Peter conducts a touching interview with a woman who got out of the Trade Center. At the end of the interview, Peter asks how old she is: "I know it's not a polite thing to do". When the woman says 44, Peter says: "Well, you don't look it". Another survivor from the World Trade Center talks to Peter on set. Peter remarks on the image on the man's T-shirt, an angel. He was wearing it in the tower on the morning of the 11th.

 

Diane Sawyer makes several dramatic and compelling reports from near Ground Zero, while Barbara Walters joins Peter on set once more to share her reporting on some of the victims aboard the crashed planes. Later, in a touching conversation, Peter invites Barbara to return as often as possible and share more of her information. Peter also remarks on the guidelines at ABC News banning reporters from asking victims' familiy members "How do you feel?".

 

And finally, a nice moment when Peter momentarily forgets John Miller's name and they share a light joke.

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