A reporter’s account
Eric Shawn, Fox News senior correspondent, has once again put a human face on the long tail of September 11, 2001, telling TVNewser how his frontline reporting at Ground Zero left him with chronic illness and, more recently, a cancer diagnosis announced in September 2025. The interview, reported by mmwachiro for Adweek, underscores the personal cost borne by journalists and first responders who worked in Lower Manhattan in the weeks after the attacks. (See the full report on Adweek.) https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/fox-news-eric-shawn-explains-the-cost-of-covering-911/
Where he was that morning
Shawn recalls walking from the Upper East Side to the Fox News offices on the morning of September 11, 2001, when he heard a low, roaring plane overhead. He described the aircraft as flying “very low” and turning awkwardly before disappearing behind the city skyline. On arriving at the office he learned the scale of the unfolding catastrophe and went on air to report what he had observed. Because he was on the morning shift he was assigned to overnight coverage at Ground Zero and stayed there for a sustained period, working long shifts in the days and weeks after the attacks.
The health consequences
In his account Shawn says he developed the notorious World Trade Center cough by November 2001, a condition his doctor described as chronic acute bronchitis linked to dust exposure at the site. He reports ongoing respiratory problems, periodic gastroesophageal reflux that has since abated, and pulmonary findings consistent with repeated inhalational injury. In the interview he also disclosed elevated prostate specific antigen levels and a PI-RADS 5 finding; he is reportedly on active surveillance with three monthly checks. Shawn said he has skin cancer that he attributes in part to the toxic environment at Ground Zero. He warned that his story is far from unique, noting that “there are now 50,000 people who have 9-11-related illnesses,” and stressing that victims continue to fall ill and die as a consequence of the attacks.
What drives a reporter to stay
Confronted with the cost, Shawn was unequivocal about his choice to cover the scene: he would not have done anything differently. He invoked the late New York columnist Jimmy Breslin and his injunction that journalists must “climb the stairs” and see for themselves. For Shawn, the duty was to witness the rescue work, to tell the human stories of firefighters, police officers, and other responders, and to hold a mirror up to both the horror and the acts of bravery that followed.
What this means now
Shawn’s testimony is a reminder that the aftermath of September 11 remains an active public health and policy issue. The long latency of many exposure-related illnesses poses difficult questions about monitoring, compensation, and the adequacy of long-term healthcare provision for responders and journalists who worked at Ground Zero. Agencies such as the World Trade Center Health Program provide ongoing screening and treatment, but Shawn’s interview makes clear that the scale of need continues to grow and that awareness among the public and policymakers must keep pace. For information on monitoring and care options see the CDC World Trade Center Health Program. https://www.cdc.gov/wtc/
A measured verdict
There is no denying the bravery in reporting from a scene of such devastation. At the same time, Shawn’s story highlights a policy gap that should trouble any government that promises to look after those who put themselves in harm’s way. The practical questions are straightforward: are follow up regimes sufficiently resourced, do surveillance programmes capture everyone at risk, and are compensation schemes responsive to new diagnoses decades after exposure? Those are the debates to press on at local and national level.
Shawn’s account, as reported by mmwachiro for Adweek, is both a personal testimony and a public warning. It is a reminder that the consequences of 9/11 extend far beyond one day, and that the cost to individuals who told the story from the scene can be lifelong. Source: www.adweek.com. https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/fox-news-eric-shawn-explains-the-cost-of-covering-911/
