How the News Networks Covered the New Orleans Terror Attack

Americans woke up on New Year’s Day to the horrible news of a terrorist attack in New Orleans, Louisiana. A vehicle he intentionally drove down Bourbon Street during the early morning hours of January 1, plowing into the crowd and killing 15 people.

Since the authorities have classified the attack as an act of terrorism and called Shamsud-Din Jabbar42, as the suspect. President Joe Biden said the Islamic State group inspired the morning attack.

After recognizing the gravity of the situation, cable news networks quickly switched from holiday programming to news mode. Meanwhile, broadcast outlets produced special reports that interrupted their weekday morning newscasts. (All times ET.)

Fox News was the first network to break the news at 6:19 am on Wednesday during Fox & Friends, followed by CNN at 6:28 am, NewsNation at 6:29 am, and MSNBC at 7:15 am. coverage of the tragedy in the following hours and in the first hour.

On the broadcast side, NBC News’ Hallie Jackson Anchored a special report on the attack that began at 7:11 am Lester Holt Anchored Nightly News from Los Angeles, while Tom Llamas, Jesse Kirschand George Solis reported ashore from New Orleans.

CBS News aired its first special report at 7:41 a.m. on January 1. New Orleans national network reporter Kati Weis was in the French Quarter when the tragedy occurred and shared her account on that evening’s CBS Evening News. by Major Garrett. Thursday morning, CBS Mornings co-host Tony Dokoupil anchor from New Orleans joined by CBS Saturday Morning co-host and former First Lady of New Orleans Michelle Miller.

.@cbsnews‘ @KatiWeis was on an evening out in the French Quarter of New Orleans when the deadly vehicular attack began. She ducked into a building, but as the New Year’s revelers were let out by the police, she remembers seeing “bodies strewn across Bourbon Street.” pic.twitter.com/tcwaXyxAel

– CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) January 2, 2025

Co-anchor of the weekend edition of Good Morning America Whit Johnson was on the ground for ABC News, which aired its first special report at 7:30 am

Below are the times when news outlets broke the news coming out of New Orleans. (In alphabetical order.)

ABC News – 7:30 a.m

CBS News – 7:41 am