9/11 and the "War on Terror"

On September 11, 2001 at 8:45 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 struck the north tower building of the World Trade Center (WTC) in lower Manhattan. Commercial television networks immediately covered unfolding events, broadcasting live as a second plane collided with the WTC south tower, and documenting two additional attacks by hijacked planes targeting the Pentagon and White House. In the days following September 11, local and national network television news divisions provided extended coverage of rescue and recovery operations at the collapsed WTC towers and the severely damaged Pentagon building.  Profiles of those who had lost their lives in the attacks also featured prominently during the news coverage.