Well-known images

Television channels

Due to the reactive reporting of the attacks, many television journalists and their production teams were scrambling for information and reporting live from close locations to the attacks as possible. This allowed them to capture the real-time reactions of ordinary citizens, first responders, and political leaders as the events were unfolding, causing much of the verbal content aired to the public to be spontaneous and emotionally charged. Even later shows such as The Late Show with David Letterman showcased the emotional reactions to the attacks rather than a potential narrative.^[20] Many channels devoted 24/7 coverage to the attacks as the magnitude of the damage was assessed, the potential for more attacks subsided, and important revelations into the roles of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda became known.^[21]

Channels such as WNYW, on its Good Day New York program, aired footage almost immediately, and CNN had a live feed of the Twin Towers at 8:49 AM, almost three minutes after the first plane had hit. Other channels used news channel coverage in order to spread information, with VH1 and MTV utilizing CBS's material, and ESPN and ESPN2 utilizing ABC's material. At the end of the night, Nielsen estimated that at least 80 million Americans watched the evening news, while an estimate by the University of Georgia held that about two billion people either watched the attacks in real time or through the news.^[15]

The satellite feed of one television station, WPIX, froze on the last image received from the WTC mast; the image (a remote-camera shot of the burning towers), viewable across North America (as WPIX is available on cable TV in many areas), remained on the screen for much of the day until WPIX was able to set up alternate transmission facilities. It shows the WTC at the moment power cut off to the WPIX transmitter, prior to the towers' collapse.^{[citation needed]}

A little more than a week after the attacks, a Pew Research Center report showed that 89% of Americans polled gave the media a positive rating for the reports on the attacks and 90% of respondents received news about the attacks via the television. A review of the reported material by cable news stations found that during the first five hours of live coverage rumors and/or speculation was reported eighty-four times, with retraction statements as information became more available seen multiple times through the day.^[22]

Radio

During a broadcast of The Howard Stern Show on 92.3 WXRK, Stern and his team learned about the crash while watching TV coverage in their recording studio, which was based in New York. As noted in a retrospective of the event, Stern reflected on how they were able to give unfiltered opinions and a raw reaction to the events rather than the dour and reserved commentary made by TV news outlets. Streams of callers phoned in to speculate about the event in real-time and give their impassioned, angered reactions, including eyewitness testimonials close to the New York attacks. The broadcast serves a historical document to highlight national sentiment as the attacks were taking place.^[23][24][25]

Other radio presenters have recounted the whiplash that occurred to those in the business having to move from their daily program to documenting, reporting and fielding phone calls about the disaster in real time. A host located in Jersey City with a direct view of the World Trade Center from their office, said that they were discussing if certain actions were cheating on air, when calls about a potential helicopter crash into the towers began. A prior host of a station in Los Angeles who was live that day said that she kept having to stop and calm herself while fielding the calls, and remembered no music being played. She also stated that she and the other host stayed on well over their normal sign off time, while attempting to get information out to the public as fast as possible.^[26] Radio stations in New York City such as WINS 1010 and WCBS 880 kept information local broadcasting the latest in tunnel, subway, train and other transportation closures to allow people to evacuate, as well as who to call in order to report someone missing or where to donate.^[27]

Airplane radios, intercoms, and air-phones

CeeCee Lyles

Phone call made by CeeCee Lyles

The hijackers of the airplanes did not know how to properly operate the planes' radio and intercom systems, so some of their comments were inadvertently sent to air traffic controllers. These comments, coupled with stewardesses who were able to operate the air-phone, meant that officials were able to document the attackers' movements on the planes.^[28] Phone calls made from the planes have become testimonial and memorial pieces, such as a voicemail left by United Flight 175 passenger Brian David Sweeney which begins with; "Jules, this is Brian. Listen, I'm on an airplane that's been hijacked."^[29]

According to the 9/11 Commission Report, 13 passengers from Flight 93 made a total of over 30 calls to both family and emergency personnel (twenty-two confirmed air phone calls, two confirmed cell phone and eight not specified in the report). Brenda Raney, Verizon Wireless spokesperson, said that Flight 93 was supported by several cell sites.^[30] There were reportedly three phone calls from Flight 11, five from Flight 175, and three calls from Flight 77. Two calls from these flights were recorded, placed by flight attendants: Betty Ong on Flight 11 and CeeCee Lyles on Flight 93.^[31]

Pagers

As the attacks occurred during a transfer period of technology, many of the victims used pagers instead of cell phones to communicate with friends and family. Some of these messages were obtained by Wikileaks and published in 2009, although the validity of the messages cannot be fully confirmed.^[32] Of these messages, analysis has shown that the phrase "plane has crashed" was used most often at about 9 am, along with "unconfirmed reports". Throughout the entire day and attack, the four most consistent phrases throughout were "please call home", "call me ASAP", "call your mother" and "call your wife".^[33] One survivor, who had been eating in the cafeteria on the 43rd floor of the North Tower, reported she received a bulletin on her pager announcing that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.^[34]

Phones

While the phone networks were crucial during the attacks to document what was happening and gain information for either victims, family and friends or first responders, they were also battered by the attacks. Verizon's densest knot of cables and switches in the world were located near the trade center, with the attack destroying 300,000 voice access lines, and 4.5 million data circuits with 10 cellular towers made inactive. This caused 14,000 businesses and 20,000 residential customers to lose service.^[35]

Radios

After the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, radio repeaters for New York City Fire Department communication were installed in the tower complex. Because they were unaware that several controls needed to be operated to fully activate the repeater system, fire chiefs at their command post in the lobby of the North Tower thought the repeater was not functioning and did not use it, though it did work and was used by some firefighters.^[40] Emergency relief efforts in both Lower Manhattan and at the Pentagon were augmented by volunteer amateur radio operators in the weeks after the attacks.^[41] Members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) had been prepping for a simulation test in October 2001 before they were notified about the attack. Members of RAXES across the United States were activated with ARES members on alert shortly after communication of the attack, and helped pass along information and coordinate with local and federal officials.^[42]