The 9/11 Commission Report turns 20. It still has lessons for journalists.
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If this week marks twenty-three years since 9/11, this year has already seen a significant anniversary linked to the attack: in July, the 9/11 Commission Report turned twenty. The report—a 567-page investigation compiled over eighteen months by a staff led by a bipartisan group of legislators—included eleven chapters detailing the cultural and geopolitical winds preceding the attacks, the histories of the groups involved, and the specific, time-stamped progression of what transpired in the day’s various theaters, including insight into how decisions were made in real time. Two additional chapters assigned accountability, discussed what lessons the various agencies involved ought to learn, and provided policy recommendations.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that this doesn’t sound like the most engaging piece of writing. Here’s the thing, though: it’s actually a page-turner—
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