How TV News Is Approaching 9/11, 25 Years Later | Analysis

Television networks are commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in three main ways: using their archives as historical records, treating the anniversary as a national ceremony, and exploring unresolved political and legal questions. These approaches reflect the challenge of reaching viewers who witnessed the events live and a generation for whom 9/11 is history.

The anniversary comes at a time of increased political polarization, making the networks' efforts to evoke national unity more striking. NBC will focus on "Dateline" anchored by Lester Holt, featuring previously unseen footage from NBC News archives. The documentary profiles New Yorkers who experienced the attacks firsthand. Tapping into its own reporting, NBC aims to show viewers what 9/11 was really like for those in Ground Zero, and how New Yorkers responded and helped one another.

Similarly, CNN is using its documentary library and history as a live-news institution. The network will rebroadcast the Naudet brothers' "9/11" documentary and premier a new interview with the filmmakers. CNN also premieres "Top of the World," a documentary short about the restaurant Windows on the World, which was destroyed in the attacks.

CBS is also drawing on its institutional history through "60 Minutes." Lesley Stahl will revisit the first "60 Minutes" story about 9/11, originally reported by her late colleague Ed Bradley, and return to Summit, N.J., to examine how the community has carried the history. Fox News is focusing on firsthand testimony, with Steve Doocy and Eric Shawn reporting from Lower Manhattan.

Survivors, victims' families, and military officials will also share their experiences. Fox Nation extends this approach to multiple generations, featuring former NYPD inspector Paul Mauro returning to Ground Zero with previously unseen imagery. Paying tribute to the anniversary, ABC is hosting a national live broadcast of the Tribute in Light, featuring performances by popular artists and focusing on remembrance, healing, and resilience.

CBS and NewsNation are addressing the unfinished legal and political legacy of 9/11, examining whether mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will face justice and why his prosecution remains unresolved. Chris Cuomo will anchor from the 9/11 Memorial, reflecting on his experiences covering the attacks from Lower Manhattan, while the network's documentary features interviews with President Donald Trump and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.