This Saturday is the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks — a day of remembrances and reflection. There will be ceremonies at the memorials in New York City, Shanksville, PA, and Arlington, VA.
President Joe Biden will visit all three memorials, and is expected to give remarks at some point in the day. Former President George W. Bush is also expected to speak at the Flight 93 Memorial in Pennsylvania.
KOSU will air NPR Special Coverage and two radio specials throughout the day. Some regularly scheduled programming will be interrupted as a result.
Saturday, September 11 — 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
NPR Weekend Edition — Special Coverage
Along with news of the remembrances and live event coverage that day, Weekend Edition and host Scott Simon have a special focus on the anniversary. Planned topics and stories include:
- Conversations with survivors of the attack on the World Trade Center.
- How 9/11 changed — or didn't — what it means to be Muslim in America.
- New York Fire Department Engine 54 lost every firefighter they sent to battle the fires. We'll hear from family of those who died, as well as current firefighters about the legacy of the day.
- Scott Simon and NPR's Ron Elving discuss how the U.S. Government has changed since 2001.
- A report from NPR's Steve Inskeep in Pakistan on the view of the anniversary there.
Saturday, September 11 — 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Sacred Ground: A 9/11 Special from NPR
On September 11, 2001, United Flight 93 was hijacked by four Al-Qaeda terrorists. The passengers and crew fought back and because of that, the plane crashed outside of Shanksville, Pa., instead of its likely target: the U.S. Capitol.
Part of the plane crashed onto land owned by Tim Lambert, a public radio reporter at WITF in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The crash would end up connecting Tim, in surprising ways, to the first responders who managed the aftermath and to the families of the people who died on board. He gained access and insight into 9/11 that no other reporter had.
20 years after Flight 93's crash, Lambert and NPR's Scott Detrow tell the story of Flight 93: what happened that day and what happened over the years to come.
Warning: this episode contains explicit language and content some listeners may find disturbing.
Note: this radio special will also air on KOSU on Sunday, September 12 at 3 p.m.
Saturday, September 11 — 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Blindspot: The Road to 9/11
Blindspot: The Road to 9/11 brings to light the decade-long “shadow struggle” that preceded the attacks. Hosted by WNYC reporter Jim O’Grady, this 2-hour radio special draws on interviews with a range of sources — including CIA agents, security experts, and people who knew the terrorists personally — and weaves them together with original reporting to create a gripping, narrative audio experience.
We follow the story of Emad Salem, an Egyptian-born civilian who infiltrated a terrorist cell in New Jersey — he is considered by some to be one of the most successful undercover operatives in the history of the FBI. Other voices in the program include: former CIA director Leon Panetta, former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White, writer Steve Coll, and journalists John Miller and Peter Bergen. We also hear from extremists in their own words.
Blindspot: The Road to 9/11 is based on a 9-part podcast of the same name that was hailed as one of the best podcasts of 2020 by The Atlantic.
Saturday, September 11 — 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
A Special Edition of All Things Considered from NPR News
A Special Edition of All Things Considered from NPR News is a single hour focused on the 9/11 anniversary. Hosted by Michel Martin, there will be updates on events of the day along with reporting, interviews and analysis of what September 11, 2001 means twenty years later.
Planned topics and stories include:
- Conversations with three people who were children in 2001, who all share a connection to the events of that day, but reflect on it from different vantage points.
- The movie, “Worth,” a fictional account of the 9/11 victims fund that was released last year.
- A report from Eric Deggans on how television was transformed by the nation's biggest terrorist attack.
Given the live nature of Saturday's remembrances, ceremonies and speeches, some content and timing may change.
We hope you will join us for this special day of remembrances and reflection.
