On December 17 at the age of 60, CNN journalist Drew Griffin passed away after winning a Peabody Award for his investigation uncovering deadly delays at veterans hospitals. This research led to legislative action and the resignation of the secretary of veterans affairs.
CNN reports that he died of cancer.
Mr. Griffin has been with CNN since 2004, and his months-long investigations frequently result in policy shifts thanks to his thorough reporting.
Sadly, on Saturday, Griffin, who had worked for the network’s detective agency for over two decades, passed away. He won many accolades for his work at CNN, including the Murrow, Emmy, and Peabody. His persistent investigating frequently had far-reaching practical consequences.
The loss of Drew is terrible to CNN and the industry as a whole, CNN CEO Chris Licht stated in a statement. Drew was an award-winning investigative journalist whose reporting made a significant effect and who personified the goals of the organisation.
After spending over two years investigating what the media dubbed “The VA Scandal,” Drew finally managed to sit down with former Phoenix VA hospital director Sharon Helman for an interview before she was fired. However, not before Drew chased after her with a stick microphone as she sped out of the parking lot in her blue Mercedes.
Mr. Griffin worked for CBS News 2 in Los Angeles for several years before joining CNN. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign graduate with a degree in communications, he worked as a reporter and cameraman for WICD-TV in Illinois before moving on to stations in Florida, Washington, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
His wife, Margot, and his children Ele, Louis, and Miles, together with two grandkids, are among those who have survived.
Griffin remarked that it was unusual to be welcomed in Washington when he received the Everett McKinley Dirksen Award for Distinguished Reporting of Congress in 2015. This was in reference to the fact that he was renowned for asking harsh questions of legislators. CNN compiled a video of people avoiding him by slamming doors in his face, walking, and sometimes fleeing. But he persisted in his inquiries.