On Sept. 11, 2001, four planes hijacked by al-Qaeda members crashed into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.  Everyone who was alive will forever remember where they were and what they were doing when they first got the news about the 9/11 attacks. In the first episode of KSHB 41 News’ five-part podcast mini-series on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, digital producers Katharine Finnerty and Casey Murray will go back to that day. The episode features archived footage from the week of Sept. 11, 2001, as well as firsthand accounts from a retired FBI agent, the family of a victim of 9/11 and a cameraman who was there that day.

The legacy of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, has grown increasingly complicated following a 20-year war in Afghanistan. That’s taking its toll on service members.  The memory of the war and its withdrawal can be a painful source of conflict for veterans. The attacks were an incentive for many to join the military, but studies show PTSD is worse in veterans now than it’s ever been.  In the second episode of KSHB 41 News’ five part podcast mini-series about the 20th anniversary of 9/11, digital producers Casey Murray and Katharine Finnerty will explore how service people in Kansas City were impacted by the attacks, and how they are impacted now as the U.S. ends its longest war.

After 9/11, the country unified to heal from the tragedy, but some were not included in that unity. Some Muslim and Middle-Eastern people living in the U.S. experienced an increased amount of hate crimes and violence against them after 9/11.  Educators are doing what they can to teach their students why such prejudices are wrong, but it’s a challenge when those students weren’t even born when 9/11 happened. In the third episode of KSHB 41 News’ five-part podcast mini-series about the 20th anniversary of 9/11, digital producers Casey Murray and Katharine Finnerty will hear from Dr. Laeeq Azmat, Platte County High School teacher Zach Keith and more about 9/11’s impact on the Islamic community, as well as how educators are teaching 9/11 to students who didn’t experience the life-changing event firsthand.

To this day, airport security is one of the most recognizable, direct changes made in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  The federal government established the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, which is now responsible for keeping airports safe.  In the fourth episode of KSHB 41 News’ five-part podcast mini-series on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, digital producers Casey Murray and Katharine Finnerty will explore how the Kansas City International Airport was impacted by 9/11, and why people in the metro continue to keep the memory of the attacks alive. 

Journalists are professional eyewitnesses to traumatic events, and that is especially true of 9/11. KSHB 41 News anchor Cynthia Newsome was getting ready for work at the station and watching the news when she heard about the attacks. She reported on how 9/11 impacted Kansas Citians 20 years ago.  In the final episode of KSHB 41 News’ five-part podcast mini-series about the 20th anniversary of 9/11, digital producers Casey Murray and Katharine Finnerty will explore how the field of journalism has changed, and listeners will hear from Newsome about her experience reporting on 9/11.