Twenty-five years on, the legacy of the September 11 attacks continues beyond the initial physical and economic effects. The events of 9/11 and the subsequent “war on terror” severely undermined trust in mainstream news media in the US and around the world, laying the groundwork for today’s fractured, hyperpartisan information environment.
In the days and weeks after the attacks, American journalists faced a dilemma: maintain professional standards of objectivity, balance and impartiality or “rally round the flag” in support of the state. Many chose the latter, and a powerful mood of patriotic sentiment echoed around US newsrooms. Journalists and news anchors wore stars-and-stripe pin badges, while networks adopted slogans such as “America Under Attack” for evening news bulletins.
