9/11: The Morning We Broke the News | Two Anchors, 25 Years Later

Sep 11, 2026 · 27 min · 10 segments

On Sept. 11, 2001, Carol Lin was the first national news anchor to break the story of the attacks on CNN — while Jane Clayson Johnson was hosting the CBS morning show when the towers were struck…

On Sept. 11, 2001, Carol Lin was the first national news anchor to break the story of the attacks on CNN — while Jane Clayson Johnson was hosting the CBS morning show when the towers were struck. Twenty-five years later, these two women sit down for the first time to share what they saw, what they felt, and what they never said on air. In this 9/11 25th anniversary conversation, you’ll hear the behind-the-scenes reality of anchoring live television during the worst terrorist attack in American history — from the unconfirmed reports flooding their earpieces (car bomb at the State Department, 10,000 body bags) to veteran correspondents weeping on camera at Ground Zero. Carol and Jane recall the persistent smell that hung over Lower Manhattan for weeks, the families desperately searching for loved ones, the first responders who ran into the burning towers with astonishing calm, and the moment Carol realized 9/11 had changed her life in the most unexpected way — it made her want to become a mother. This is more than a Sept. 11 memorial. It’s an intimate look at how two women carried the weight of history, what it cost them, and why they still believe in America’s capacity for unity 25 years later.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Carol Lin was the first national news anchor to break the story of the attacks on CNN — while Jane Clayson Johnson was hosting the CBS morning show when the towers were struck…