Carol Lin, the CNN anchor who first announced the attack on the World Trade Centre on network television, has recalled the confusion and shock of reporting the events of 11 September 2001 live. Speaking 25 years later, she described returning to the desk without a script after initially assuming a small aircraft had struck the North Tower. Her account highlights the pressure on journalists to provide immediate, accurate information during a catastrophe whose scale and cause were initially unclear.

CNN went live at 8.49am, three minutes after the first plane hit, showing the North Tower on fire as Lin reported unconfirmed accounts of a crash. She said the newsroom sought to verify facts, including confirmation from a CNN executive in New York that a large passenger jet was involved, while she researched local transport and building details for context. After the second plane struck, staff concluded the attacks were terrorism, though Lin said the network continued to avoid reporting information it could not verify.