The September 11th attacks may have taken place in New York City, the
Pentagon, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, but the events of that day
impacted communities across the country, including right here in western
Massachusetts. Cynthia Siminson, the current Executive Editor of the
Republican MassLive and El Pueblo Latino, was working in the newsroom on
September 11, 2001.
She joined me to reflect on what it was like to cover a story of that magnitude
locally and how we continue to honor the lives lost and those impacted by
this day.
I was actually on my way from an appointment in Westfield, so as I
arrived, it was just after nine o'clock, so the first plane had struck.
We knew that. And everyone is, I remember, was literally glued to the TV
screens. It was a, you know, I think it was reflective of all of us, everywhere,
whether we were at work or home or school.
The enormity of it was like, what is going on and how is how is this
happening?
As you mentioned, we were all glued to the TV during that moment, no matter
where we were. This is nationally, and I'm sure internationally, everyone was
watching this event as it unfolded.
How do you cover a story of this magnitude on a local level?
Well, the thing that happened in our newsroom was I got an email from a
friend in Westfield that somebody I knew and this person knew, was in the
building that day. It was Dan Trant, who worked at Cantor Fitzgerald.
And I shared it with a co-worker, Tom Shea, who had known Danny from the
sports world -- he was a basketball player.
And that's when it kind of struck a lot of us that there could be other people
we know, there could be other people from western Massachusetts that are
being impacted this day.
Back in 2001, we don't have the same access to information at our fingertips
as we do today.
What was it like to be that lifeline of information to this region of the events
of that day as they were unfolding?
You bring up a major aspect to this is that not everybody had cell phones.
I mean, thank goodness for those families who were able to capture final
moments with their loved ones.
But, things just weren't that readily available.
So,the internet was fairly new.
The concept of of online news was still in its infancy, in a way.
So, the printed newspaper was really -- delivered the news in the home.
At the same time, people were watching the national news on TV.
So, now looking back two decades later, are there any stories or images that
really have stuck with you after that day that impacted the communities
locally, either directly or indirectly?
You know, I think each one of us has some image that's iconic, that's moving.
That's tragic.
That's, you know, I like to think -- I tend to be a positive person.
So, you know, in talking to our editors here, quite frankly, I look to that
photo of President Bush with his arm around a firefighter, the American
flag, being a positive "we will endure."
And as somebody who was working for the media that day and continues to do so,
how did this event change your perspective and what did you learn from
it in your position?
Not sure it changed my perspective, but it's a reminder that, you know, and in
many ways, all news is local.
Just like all, politics is local.
That you never know who might have been in that building.
I mean, we had fully 20 or more people -- 20 or more families-- whose lives
were changed forever, right here at home.
And then we had first responders and other good people who got in their cars
or trucks or as units went to help with the search, went to be present at the
funerals of firefighters and other first responders.
I think it speaks to the kind and caring communities that surround us.
I know that MassLive/The Republican are working on a special series to
commemorate this day.
Talk to me more a little bit about what you're planning on doing.
Well, the series, it's running over the course of eight days and our editors
conceived it as a way not to just document what happened that day, but to
share the legacy and what's happened in the interim 20 years, whether it be to
the families who were affected or -- and a piece that will be publishing this
coming Sunday on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and how a whole other group
of families, our lives, are being impacted.
And veterans,and and were it not for 911, they would not be there, you know?
So, it has a continuing effect on all of our lives.