August 26, 2026 NEW YORK, NY Quarter of a century after smoke darkened the sky over Manhattan, the iconic storytellers who witnessed the chaos firsthand are preparing to step back into the spotlight. As the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks draws near, a rare high-stakes gathering in Midtown Manhattan will examine how the media captured a historic tragedy as it unfolded in real time.

On Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m., The Paley Center for Media, in partnership with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, presents "9/11 Through the Media Lens: 25 Years Later." The landmark event brings together veteran broadcast anchors, ground-zero photojournalists, and media historians to confront the terrifying reality of reporting on America's darkest hour—and how news gathering fundamentally transformed in its wake.

Featured Panelists & Presenters

• Paula Zahn (Moderator): Host and executive producer of Investigation Discovery’s On the Case with Paula Zahn.

• Pat Kiernan: Beloved morning anchor for NY1 News who guided New Yorkers through the initial morning chaos.

• Nina Pineda: Veteran consumer reporter for 7 On Your Side (WABC-TV).

• Matthew McDermott: Renowned photojournalist who captured critical imagery of the scene and its aftermath.

• Jonathan Capehart: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, co-host of The Weekend on MS NOW, and PBS NewsHour political analyst.

• Barbie Zelizer: Professor of Communication at UPenn’s Annenberg School and co-editor of Journalism After September 11.

Vault Material & Preserving History

Attendees will be treated to rare, global broadcasts pulled directly from the extensive Paley Archive. The showcase includes international footage detailing how newsrooms around the world reacted to the unfolding terror, alongside archival seminars recorded just months after the attacks.

In a parallel effort to preserve history, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum is inviting journalists who covered the attacks to submit their firsthand accounts via its TheirStory digital platform, archiving press experiences alongside the oral histories of survivors, first responders, and families.