CNN employees were saddened and saddened to learn Monday that senior research correspondent Drew Griffin had passed away at age 60 after a long battle with cancer.
Griffin passed away on Saturday. His family said he was a respected investigative reporter known for his important work on a wide variety of topics. In a memo to staff on Monday, CNN CEO Chris Licht praised Griffin’s life and work.
“Drew’s death is a devastating loss to CNN and our entire profession.” Light said in the memo, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “The work of Drew, an acclaimed investigative journalist, had an incredible impact and in every way embodied the mission of this organization. It was important to him to seek the truth and to hold the powerful accountable. He was tough, but always fair.”
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“His work ethic was second to none,” added Licht. “He spent long hours studying documents and working the phones. Even as he battled cancer, he refused to give up reporting that was so important to him and even worked on an investigation until the day he died.
Griffin joined CNN in 2004. Prior to that, he worked for CNN Los Angeles as an investigative reporter. In 2015, he won a Peabody Award for his investigative reporting on delays at Veterans Affairs hospitals that caused patient deaths and led to the VA secretary’s resignation. This was just one of his many achievements.
Griffin won four Emmys and was known for his coverage of Hurricane Katrina, fraud claims against Trump University, and the aftermath of the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot.
Don Lemon, a CNN anchor, cried on the network’s morning show when he told the audience about Griffin’s death. He called him “our colleague and friend, and a long respected CNN journalist.”
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Lemon’s co-anchor Kaitlin Collins comforted him when he started crying over the bad news. “I know this is hard for you. He said he was one of the first people you met on CNN,” Collins said. “Drew was such a gifted storyteller.”
On Twitter, other CNN personalities shared their grief. RIP Drew Griffin. Terrible news,” Jake Tapper wrote.
“We have lost a beloved colleague. Drew Griffin embodied everything that makes a journalist great. He was tenacious, curious, honest, dedicated and kind. He was admired by all of us @cnn,” said Poppy Harlow. “To his wife Margot and their 3 children a lot of strength with this loss. We will always remember him.”
Griffin’s wife, Margot, and his three children and two grandchildren will follow behind him… Just follow us on Lee Daily for more news like this.
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